Alberta tourism operators see market picking up
‘People are buying the tickets’
The recession-inspired “staycation” may be on its way out.
After several years of sticking close to home, Canadians, a new survey suggests, are again getting itchy feet.
In Alberta, tourism operators are readying for what they hope could be one of the best summers they’ve seen in a while.
“Things seem to be picking up, for sure. I think this is going to be a big year for tourism in this city as a whole,” said Barb Munro, a spokesperson for Calgary’s Heritage Park. “I think everywhere is going to be busier.”
Much of Munro’s enthusiasm has to do with the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede, which is expected to draw large numbers of visi- tors to the city this summer. But the results of a recent Leger Marketing poll indicate that tourism could be up across the country, not just in Calgary.
The poll, conducted for BMO Financial Group, indicated 84 per cent of Canadians plan to take a summer vacation this year, up five per cent from 2011.
The numbers are promising for both short-haul and long-haul travel: Although the number of Canadians planning a trip within Canada is up six per cent, the survey also shows a six per cent increase in planned vacations to the U.S. The number of Canadians planning a trip outside of North America is up four per cent from 2011.
Michael Clark, a travel agent with Airline Ticket Centre in downtown Calgary, said during the worst of the economic downturn, people were reluctant to travel unless they could find a bargain-basement price. That no longer seems to be the case.
“They’re still looking for deals, but people are buying the tickets. It doesn’t have to be a rock-bottom, super deal,” Clark said. “I think this year, more than in previous years, people are willing to pay a little more money for a vacation.”
That means good news for travel agents booking popular summer getaways to Europe, but it’s also good for Alberta’s homegrown tourism industry.
According to the BMO survey, Alberta is the fourth most popular Canadian tourism destination, behind B.C., Ontario and Quebec. The province is also poised to benefit from its own healthy economy, since many visitors to Alberta’s tourist attractions are Albertans themselves. Tourism in Alberta brings in $5.6 billion annually, and the majority of that — 78 per cent — comes from the pockets of travellers exploring their own province.
Royce Chwin, vice-president of marketing for Travel Alberta, said his agency focuses both on regional, short-haul travellers as well as Alberta’s core out-of-province markets — other Canadians, the U.S., and the U.K. While international travel may account for only seven per cent of tourism visits to Alberta, foreign travellers are often the biggest spenders, accounting for 23 per cent of the province’s overall tourism revenues.
“That’s why it’s important to have a two-pronged strategy,” Chwin said.
Stuart Hart, director of sales and market development with Banff Lake Louise Tourism, said he has reason to be hopeful. Not only is the Banff-Lake Louise area expecting an increase in the number of international visitors — driven by modest growth in the Asian market — but regional numbers are expected to be up as well.
“All indications are that it looks like a strong market (this year),” said Hart. “We’re cautiously optimistic for the summer.”
While all the signs point to a positive season, Alberta’s tourism industry still has a way to go before it recovers to its pre-recession level. However, Hart said that in the Rockies, at least, some operators are there already.
“There are some people talking about 2008 and before levels of business, so that’s encouraging,” Hart said. “We all know these are volatile times and things can change overnight. That being said, we’re certainly in a more encouraging position than we’ve been.”