New Democrats axe master tourism plan for being outdated

A 2013 plan to grow Alberta’s tourism sector to a $10.3-billion industry by 2020 has been scrapped and replaced with “specific strategies” for rural and Indigenous tourism.

Alberta’s Tourism Framework was developed in consultation with industry under the Progressive Conservatives. The framework envisioned a flourishing, unified industry, with traveller-focused authentic experiences that provided sustainable economic benefits to all regions of Alberta.

Deputy tourism minister Meryl Whittaker told a committee meeting Tuesday her department has “moved beyond the framework,” though it is still incorporated into the ministry’s plans.

Whittaker said the framework was created several years ago when Alberta was in a very different economic situation.

Instead of the framework, she said, her ministry is trying to expand tourism into different regions and the shoulder seasons. Take the mountain parks, she said, which are “packed to bursting ” in the summer, but have opportunities for growth in the spring and fall.

Bits and pieces of the framework are useful, she said, but the overall plan is outdated.

Still, the economic goal remains the same and Whittaker is confident Alberta tourism figures are on target.

Statistics Canada numbers show a fall in visitor numbers for some attractions and regions, but the most recent figures date back to 2015 — and that’s not representative of where the province is now, she said.

Tourism Alberta does its own monthly monitoring, Whittaker said, and those numbers are showing growth.