Positioning Canada’s Western Ski Areas on a Competitive Footing with the U.S. and supercharging all season resort investment.

As part of the provincial process of Sub Regional Planning Engagements, and informed by completed SRPs to date TIAA submitted a technical submission on the SRP process.  The submission carries forward the cumulative work on Crown Lands and previous submission on Alberta Plan for Parks, surveys.  The guidance outlines what the Alberta tourism industry believes SRPs must consistently include to support the Government of Alberta's sector goals and approved policies.

The report analyzes the economic consequences of Budget 2026-27's increased tourism fees and the political uncertainty regarding a potential separation referendum on Alberta’s visitor economy. Economic modeling projected that these changes would trigger an immediate $164 million annual contraction in visitor spending, resulting in the loss of 813 jobs and $119 million in provincial GDP. Furthermore, the findings highlight a significant investment chill that has sidelined $271 million in private capital, creating a total long-term risk of $1.233 billion in visitor expenditures and over 6,125 jobs.

 Currently the province's fourth-largest export, valued higher than cattle, wheat, or wood, tourism provides a unique trade advantage, with nearly half of its revenue originating outside the U.S. compared to just 10% for other sectors. To protect the goal of $25 billion in spending by 2035, the framework calls for a "whole-of-government" approach that aligns tourism with international trade agreements, doubles its share of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by 2030, and uses the sector as a gateway to attract global talent and investment into Alberta’s broader energy and agricultural industries.  Alberta could radically enhance its internatational competitiveness by elevating tourism from a service industry to a strategic export, utilizing it as a vital hedge against market overdependence and a front door to new markets.

o support Alberta’s goal of growing tourism spending to $25 billion by 2035, the province will need an additional 100,000 workers across urban and resort destinations.

This strategy outlines policy reforms, cross-government partnerships, and targeted workforce housing solutions essential to overcoming structural affordability barriers and sustaining the tourism talent pipeline.

2024 analysis of the current state of the tourism workforce, identifying key challenges and opportunities for growth and development. 

The report is informed by landmark recommendations made in a 2023 TIAA policy paper, “Labour Market Study of Alberta’s Tourism Sector,” as well as the directions articulated under the “People and Careers” pillar of the Alberta government’s Higher Ground Tourism Strategy. In particular, this report focuses on a suite of prescriptive actions that could be taken to strengthen the ‘talent pipeline’ that supports tourism.