Travel Alberta takes aim at the next 10 years of tourism growth
BANFF, AB, Oct. 28, 2019 /CNW/ - In today's address to almost 600 industry partners, Travel Alberta CEO Royce Chwin said we need to broaden our thinking to grow Alberta's tourism revenue to $20 billion by 2030.
Speaking at the 20th annual Travel Alberta Industry Conference, Chwin said a decade's worth of industry collaboration and hard work has built a strong foundation for the next 10 years, positioning tourism as a key economic driver and diversifier for Alberta. In 2017, visitors spent a record $8.9 billion, a five per cent increase year over year, supporting more than 22,000 tourism-related businesses and 127,000 jobs in all corners of the province.
Click here for more stats on how tourism works for Alberta's economy
Now, as we gear up for the next decade, we need a province-wide strategy that addresses the triple bottom line, delivering on the needs of people, the planet and profit, Chwin explained.
"Our government has a bold vision for a strong tourism industry that creates jobs and economic growth in Alberta," said Tanya Fir, Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism. "That's why we're going to be developing a 10-year tourism strategy and are creating the right conditions for Alberta's tourism businesses to thrive. We have the lowest taxes on job creators in Canada and are cutting red tape across the economy. We're excited about the potential for growth in tourism across Alberta."
Chwin said it is important to keep adding to tourism's bench strength by thinking and acting beyond the tourism economy: "Fostering positive working relationships with other industries, communities and businesses is central to our ability to grow Alberta's visitor economy."
A focus on developing new tourism experiences throughout the province and driving visitation year-round has been a key success factor over the last 10 years, even in difficult economic times.
"Alberta entrepreneurs and tourism-related businesses are the backbone of our industry," said Chwin. "They're the ones who create the experiences that inspire travellers to come to Alberta, build communities and economies, and create the jobs that support our province."
If we are to keep growing the visitor economy, we need to keep giving people reasons to visit, Chwin told the audience: "At the same time we need to develop tourism experiences in a responsible manner to ensure we sustain and maintain the environment upon which many of our experiences reply."
Meeting the needs of Albertans, improving their quality of life, and ensuring the health of their communities will be an equally important component of Alberta's new tourism growth strategy.
"How we balance these three elements—people, the planet and profit—answer the challenges, and take advantage of the opportunities before us, is what Alberta's 10-year tourism strategy will aim to solve," said Chwin.
"As an industry and province, we're more aligned than we've ever been. Our ability to collaborate has been, and will continue to be, our greatest competitive advantage."
To that end, Chwin shared information about a new industry-led coalition, the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta (TIAA), which will work collaboratively with industry stakeholders, including the Government of Alberta and Travel Alberta. With a board that includes long-time industry champion Alida Visbach, TIAA will advocate policy that supports the growth and sustainability of Alberta's visitor economy, foster strategic partnerships, and drive innovation, investment and the development of new visitor experiences.
About the 20th Annual Travel Alberta Industry Conference
The Travel Alberta Industry Conference brings together our province's tourism industry to support alignment, learning and development. More than 500 delegates gather annually to hear from world class keynote speakers, participate in relevant concurrent sessions to help them market and grow their businesses, and celebrate industry successes at the Alberta Tourism (Alto) Awards.
About Travel Alberta
Travel Alberta is the destination promotion organization of Alberta. We showcase Alberta tourism experiences to potential travellers in Canada and internationally. Travel Alberta provides marketing expertise and support to Alberta-based tourism businesses, creating compelling reasons for travellers to explore Alberta.
Established as a Crown corporation in 2009, Travel Alberta is mandated to promote the province as a top tourism destination and support the Government of Alberta in the development of tourism policy, advocacy, research, visitor services and product development.
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SOURCE Travel Alberta
Media contact: Deborah Spence, Manager, Stakeholder Engagement and Communications, Travel Alberta, E: [email protected], C: 403-616-9752
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