No one can say the provincial government doesn’t have a plan when it comes to tourism.
Since being elected, the UCP government has been aggressive in its attempts to increase tourism throughout Alberta to keep residents exploring their province and visitors coming to Wild Rose country.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sport was established shortly after the 2023 election, with the government prioritizing using tourism as an economic driver.
With Alberta having a foothold in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, they already have an international destination for people to flock to.
But the province has deemed tourism to be not only a win-win with whatever positive economic impacts come to Alberta, they’ve made it clear it will be a pivotal industry for the foreseeable future and have made it a key focus for their provincial vision.
Last February, the province released a high level 12-page document that indicated its goals to grow tourism to be an annual $25 billion industry by 2035.
To put it in context, the visitor economy was $10.7 billion in 2022 and is forecasted at $13.2 billion in 2025-26 and $14 billion for 2026-27, meaning it’ll have to soon start growing at more than $1 billion each year.
Of course, with added tourism will also come extra revenue for provincial coffers.
The tourism levy – which is collected from hotels and other lodgings – earned $104 million in 2022-23 and is forecasted at $124 million by 2026-27.
The newly proposed All-Season Resorts Act will look to open new swaths of Crown land for private tourism-related development. If passed – which is all but a likelihood come spring – it will look to emulate the program in British Columbia that has successful year-round facilities such as Panorama Mountain Resort near Invermere, Revelstoke Mountain Resort and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden.
The Canmore Area Trails Strategy is also ongoing, with an anticipated completion of fall 2025, and is expected to help the existing trail network on Crown land in the Bow Valley.
However, if one door is opened, a better understanding of the unintended consequences has to be well analyzed. Though attempts will no doubt be made to grow tourism efforts in less thought of areas such as Bonnyville, Lac la Biche and Cold Lake, the key targets will continue to be in the mountains.
As Calgary and surrounding areas such as Cochrane, Airdrie and Okotoks continue to grow and Calgary International Airport remains one of the busiest three airports in Canada, the main areas to grow the year-round resorts will undoubtedly be in and around the mountains, particularly the Kananaskis Country area.
It will continue to put additional stress on an area facing an overwhelming amount of tourism, traffic and inundation of people.
The Kananaskis management plans are also criminally outdated, with some last visited in the 1990s and the majority last reviewed between 2004-12. Any increase in tourism has to necessitate an update of the invaluable management plans that serve as key guiding documents.
In addition, the impacts on wildlife in the region can never be underestimated. Wildlife faces growing pressures from new development, increase in visitation and permanent populations and more vehicles travelling the area all months of the year.
The province has started putting resources into wildlife fencing, a new wildlife overpass about 15 kilometres east of Canmore and wildlife underpasses planned, significantly more needs to be done to match anywhere near what Parks Canada has put in place.
Banff began lobbying the provincial government for a resort municipality status more than 20 years ago, with Canmore and then Jasper joining in the efforts. In the last year, Drumheller and Sylvan Lake have also joined the advocacy.
The provincial government – both Conservative and NDP – has been lukewarm to the idea at the best of times, with the tourism minister again shutting the door.
If tourism is expected to grow, the Rocky Mountains will continue to take the lead, meaning additional resources are needed to help maintain and grow infrastructure needs such as water and wastewater.
The provincial government has deemed tourism a key policy and part of its long-term vision for Alberta.
Without subsequent moves to help meet infrastructure needs and safeguard wildlife, the policy will be lacking for it to be a success.
