Alberta tourism on course to break records, provincial government says

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on April 9, 2025.

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com

The provincial government says Alberta’s tourism sector is expected to continue breaking annual visitor expenditures records this year, according to data collected from the first three quarters of 2024.

During the tail end of the pandemic in 2023, the province says it began breaking records in welcoming more visitors by almost 20 per cent, contributing $12.7 billion to the economy.

On Tuesday the government shared data from Statistics Canada from January to September 2024 that shows the province’s tourism sector has grown by 10 per cent, year over year, since 2023.

According to data, Alberta tourism revenues from January to September 2024 were $11.5 billion, a 10 per cent increase for the same time period in 2023 when the province began seeing more visitors.

Tourism and Sport Minister Joseph Schow says the tourism economy is booming and does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

“Alberta’s government will continue working to unleash the potential of the province’s tourism industry and the incredible tourism operators across the province will continue to show the world what we Albertans already know; Alberts is the best place in the world to live, play and visit,” said Schow.

This growth rate of visitors to Alberta outpaced every other province in Canada, advancing at a rate of more than three times the national average.

“Alberta is outperforming every other province in the tourism sector growth,” reads the press release.

According to the province, long-term provincial tourism strategy charts suggest Alberta could rake in more than $25 billion in annual visitor expenditures by 2035.

“Tourism is a powerful economic driver and continues to have tangible benefits for communities and Albertans throughout our province,” said Jon Mamela, chief commercial officer with Travel Alberta. “There has never been a better time to invest in tourism in Alberta, as the industry drives export revenues, fuels job creation, strengthens local businesses and showcases the province’s incredible natural and cultural assets to the world.”

The province’s tourism sector employs more than 260,000 people, the province says. The data collected from Statistics Canada, through Visitor Travel Surveys, is delayed by more than six months before it is published.

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