CALGARY, Oct. 22, 2018 /CNW/ – The tourism industry is a job creator, an economic diversifier, and the reason why people and businesses are attracted to the province. More than one in 11 Albertans rely on the tourism industry for their livelihood, and that number is set to grow as tourism becomes an increasingly important contributor to the economy of Alberta’s communities.
The Travel Alberta Industry Conference (TAIC), held in Banff October 21-23, 2018, is one of the most scenic places to start the conversation.
Today, the Honourable Ricardo Miranda, Minister of Culture and Tourism, and Royce Chwin, CEO, Travel Alberta, discussed the significance of the Alberta visitor economy and its importance to provincial economic growth, diversification, and job creation.
“The incredible growth of Alberta’s tourism sector, which includes more than 35 million visits and a record $8.5 billion in spending, clearly demonstrates its importance to the future of our province,” says Miranda. “Events like the Travel Alberta Industry Conference enable us to connect with tourism industry leaders and stakeholders who are committed to the continued development of new destinations, attractions and experiences. By working together, we can respond to common challenges and maximize opportunities to ensure the success of our tourism industry.”
“Our responsibility, and our bottom line, as Alberta destination promoters is to increase tourism dollars flowing into the province,” said Royce Chwin, CEO, Travel Alberta. “We set an ambitious but attainable goal of $10 billion in tourism revenue by 2020, and that is well within our sights. What we hope Albertans see is that our focus on destination marketing plays a major role in the destination development, leading to economic success of communities, cities and regions – creating a place where others want to live, work and play. We need everybody on board.”
Keynote speakers at the conference include Avinash Kaushik, the Digital Marketing Evangelist for Google, providing expert advice on marketing, analytics and AI; Darby Allen, former Fort McMurray Fire Chief responsible for safely leading the largest and most successful evacuation in Canadian history; and Doug Lansky, a tourism industry expert who can make the concept of destination development come to life for those looking to make it happen every day. Read more.
Presented by Travel Alberta and hosted at the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, TAIC is the annual event where people from across the provincial tourism industry come to learn, advocate, develop and celebrate their roles as entrepreneurs, leaders in marketing and pillars of the provincial economy.
Tourism is a key economic driver and diversifier for Alberta. In 2016, visitors to Alberta contributed more than $8.5 billion to the province’s economy, supporting 19,000 operators and employing 127,000 people in all corners of the province. TAIC is a coming together of the best and brightest in the Albertatourism industry today.
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 destination development 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.
