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<\/p>\nTourism Alberta announced more than $8 million for projects across the province to bolster the provincial industry for National Tourism Week, after experiencing a record-breaking year.<\/p>\n
At the Wilder Institute\/Calgary Zoo on Monday, Travel Alberta president and CEO David Goldstein said the time between April 20 and 24 traditionally marks the start of Alberta\u2019s tourism season.<\/p>\n
The funding announced Monday will develop new key tourism experiences across the province, including the new Sichuan takin habitat at the zoo, and the Blackfoot Historical Park on Siksika nation.<\/p>\n
It will also support Canadian Rivers Wild in West Country, Jasper Gateway Glamping in Hinton, Bukwildz Distillery in Trochu, and Lakeview Lodge in Barrhead.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur theme this week is \u2018authentic Alberta, authentic experiences,\u2019 and authenticity is an important part and central to what we\u2019re doing,\u201d including in rural Alberta and Indigenous tourism, Goldstein said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are, in fact, the largest provincial investor in Indigenous tourism in the country right now. We know that that\u2019s not only an important piece of our road to reconciliation, but it is something of high demand for our international travellers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alberta is the first jurisdiction in Canada to surpass pre-COVID tourism goals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had significant growth in every year since,\u201d Goldstein said. \u201cThe year before was four times the national average. Last year was almost three times the national average, and we just got the numbers in for the first quarter of this year \u2014 we are up eight per cent when the rest of the country was up two per cent, and that was largely based on international travel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alberta tourism revenue in the billions from more than 10 million visitors<\/p>\n
Last year, Alberta saw $15.2 billion of annual visiting spending, said Tourism and Sport Minister Andrew Boitchenko.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur goal is to reach our tourism visitor spending to $25 billion by 2035, and we\u2019re above $15 billion right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The province is also targeting year-round tourism.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have actually developed 10 new tourist development zones in the province,\u201d Boitchenko said. \u201cWe\u2019re still seeing the tourism sector growing, tourists coming to the province, and we\u2019re continuing to do what we can to make sure that we\u2019re still growing (the) tourism sector in the province.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last year, Calgary welcomed more than 10.5 million visitors, generating over $3 billion in visitor spending and supporting nearly 100,000 jobs, said Mayor Jeromy Farkas.<\/p>\n
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Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas, speaks during a tourism funding announcement at the Calgary Zoo on Monday, April 20, 2026.<\/p>\n
If Calgary decides to pursue a bid for the 2038 Winter Olympics, it would be a boost for the aging facilities that supported the Olympics nearly five decades ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are going to invest in things that we need anyway \u2014 like an LRT connection to the airport, a new McMahon Stadium \u2014 it makes sense for us to at least be having a conversation around a future Olympic bid,\u201d Farkas said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I look at the ideal timing, it may make sense for it to be a 50th anniversary bid.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although the city has several infrastructure needs that need to be addressed, Farkas said the city should be ambitious.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the community were to support a bid through a plebiscite and do the heavy lifting, I think that you would have the politicians on board,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut this can\u2019t be a legacy project for politicians. It needs to be about the benefit that we get here and now.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2018, 56.4 per cent of Calgarians voted against hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n
Farkas believes that any decision on an Olympic bid needs public support.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly important for Calgarians to have their say, especially if there may be certain trade-offs in terms of the money being spent on this (that) could potentially tie up money from being spent on other priorities,\u201d Farkas said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I really do believe that a strong business case could show Calgarians that an Olympic bid is how we address the infrastructure needs here locally.\u201d<\/p>\n