Alberta United Conservative Party MLA Miranda Rosin (Banff-Kananaskis) said her party will commit $5 million for Kananaskis Country trail improvements if re-elected. .“These improvements will mean a better, safer experience for K-Country hikers whether they are hiking for the afternoon, the day, the weekend, or longer,” said Rosin at a Sunday press conference. .“We know that more and more people are looking for opportunities in Alberta’s outdoors, so by investing in improvements and diversifying our offerings, we’re also investing in a sustainable future.” .Rosin said a re-elected Alberta UCP government will increase opportunities to explore the outdoors by working with recreational and tourism operators to develop a long-term Crown land and recreation strategy to ensure people can enjoy it for years to come. In the same way people take pride in these opportunities today, she said she knows their children and grandchildren should have the same chances. .For all of Alberta’s tourism operators, she said the UCP is “letting you know that we want to talk with you and work with you to move forward to build a sustainable path forward.” This will build off the work it has done to increase funding and supports for conservation. .The UCP MLA went on to say Albertans “should not need to drive across provincial boundaries to find decent mountain bike or hiking trails.” She said it is recommitting to implement a tourism strategy to generate $20 billion in revenue by 2030. .Alberta’s tourism industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. While it would be easy to delay growth targets, she said her party wants to reaffirm them. .Rosin said tourism plays an important role in a diversified economy, and it will ensure it continues to contribute to it. That is why it has spent money on Travel Alberta and Indigenous Tourism Alberta, as the province has plenty to offer to every one regardless of the experiences they are looking for. .UCP candidate Jason Luan (Calgary-Foothills) said Alberta’s tourism economy employs people in accommodations, food and beverage, recreation, entertainment, transportation, and travel services sectors. .“It is a key driver for revenue and jobs, with over a quarter of a million of Albertans working in these sectors, providing valuable services to Albertans and the visitors alike,” said Luan. .“And they do excellent work in the important part of overall visitor experience.” .Luan acknowledged the economy is growing, diversifying, and has momentum. The UCP has a plan to move it forward by building on strengths and pursuing new opportunities. .Rosin concluded by saying the UCP would not be eliminating the Kananaskis Country Pass because of the significant need for spending in the provincial park system. .“And since then, I am proud of the investments that we’ve been able to make into Kananaskis,” she said. .The Alberta NDP said in November Premier Danielle Smith should remove the K-Pass. .READ MORE: Alberta NDP says Smith should scrap K-Pass.“Albertans own the beautiful and distinctly Albertan space that is Kananaskis and should all be able to use it freely,” said Alberta NDP MLA Marlin Schmidt (Edmonton-Gold Bar). .The Alberta government imposed the K-Pass in 2021, which forces people to pay $90 if they want to enter Kananaskis. The K-Pass has taken $15 million from people wanting to access the space.
