Alberta is outpacing the rest of the country in tourism growth, with new figures showing the province's visitor spending is growing more than three times faster than the national average.
The Alberta government says the province’s tourism sector is booming, reaching $12.7 billion in visitor spending in 2023 — a nearly 20% jump over the previous record.
Data from January to September 2024 shows another 10% year-over-year increase, with revenues reaching $11.5 billion over that nine-month period.
“Alberta’s tourism economy is booming! It’s growing at an unprecedented rate, and we’re not slowing down anytime soon,” said Minister of Tourism and Sport Joseph Schow.
“Alberta is the best place in the world to live, play and visit.”
The surge in tourism has been driven by rising international visitor spending, which hit a record $3 billion in 2023, and is being supported by the province’s long-term strategy to grow annual visitor spending from $10 billion to $25 billion by 2035.
Officials credit the momentum to continued spending in the sector, including through Budget 2025 and new legislation like the All-Season Resorts Act, which supports sustainable tourism development year-round.
Tourism is Alberta’s top service export sector and supports more than 260,000 jobs across the province.
“There has never been a better time to spend in tourism in Alberta,” said Jon Mamela, chief commercial officer at Travel Alberta.
“The industry drives export revenues, fuels job creation, strengthens local businesses, and showcases the province’s incredible natural and cultural assets to the world.”
Alberta’s tourism growth in the first three quarters of 2024 has outpaced all other provinces, including Ontario and British Columbia.