1 week Ago By Hiren Mansukhani
Alberta’s tourism industry is aiming to capitalize on the chaos of the new American administration by luring tourists who are shying from visiting the U.S. “Europeans want to come and visit North America — they potentially just want to come to Canada,” said Tannis Gaffney, chief marketing officer at Travel Alberta, the province’s destination management organization.
“We’re hoping that this is an opportunity for Canada and Alberta, specifically, that we can attract European or Asian travellers.” U.S.
tariffs on imports from across the world has wiped out more than $5.2 trillion from the stock market , triggering shock and condemnation in several countries. Meanwhile, new immigration rules and a slate of deportations have made tourists feel unwelcome in the U.
S., sparking worries about a drop in tourism. But operators in Alberta are benefiting from a rising patriotism among Canadians and a higher share of the global tourism pie.
Karen Anderson, owner of Alberta Food Tours, which takes tourists around the iconic eateries of several cities across the province, is noticing an uptick in interest. “A lot of our summer tours are sold out already, so we might add more inventory,” said Anderson. “There’s never been a better time to travel at home.
“I think that we’re friendly people. I’m not going to not ever be friendly. And I think that that message needs to come through loud and clear — everyone is welcome.
” Anderson has recently signed contracts with two U.S. companies, which will bring American visitors in a series of tours.
Her approach has served her well. She said the company in 2022 grew by 30 per cent after recovering from the pandemic. It has experienced growth every year, and business is set to climb by 15 per cent in 2025.
“Things are up for us,” she said. Gaffney said international tourism has been climbing across the board. “We’re looking at room nights, air traffic, skiers and at different revenue streams in a bunch of different areas,” Gaffney said.
Spending by visitors in Alberta reached an all-time high of $12.7 billion in 2023 , an increase of 20 per cent from the previous year, according to Alberta Tourism and Sport Minister Joseph Schow..
