Highlights a record-breaking recovery with expenditures hitting $10.7 billion—surpassing targets two years early. Key achievements include hosting the first Alberta Tourism Advocacy Summit and forming the Tourism Workforce Recovery Task Force to address critical structural labour shortages.

Economic Significance of Travel in Alberta 2021

2021 Tourism Week advocacy messaging focused on business liquidity and a predictable roadmap for lifting health-related operational restrictions. Prioritize the expansion of the Small & Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant (SMERG) to protect tourism operators currently on the brink of closure.

Six Action Items

Strategic roadmap detailing six key action items including establishing provincial Office of Outdoor Recreation to coordinate policy and eliminate government silos. Proactive land-use planning is highlighted as the primary mechanism to stem the leakage of recreational investment to neighboring provinces.

Systemic immigration reform and a pan-Canadian workforce strategy are essential to resolving chronic labor shortages that threaten the industry’s global competitiveness. Cross-jurisdictional recommendations to align public policy with the long-term human resource needs of the visitor economy.

AB Crown Lands Study 2021 Technical Report.

Deep regional participation modeling and expenditure data provide the evidence-based foundation required to inform sound land-use policy and infrastructure investment. This dataset is the primary tool for stakeholders to quantify the economic significance of outdoor recreation as a pillar of future prosperity.