Foreign tourism brings $2.5B in first nine months of 2023

International tourists are flocking to Alberta, with visitor spending in the first three-quarters of 2023 exceeding figures registered pre-pandemic, according to the provincial government.

In a new release Monday, the province cited $2.53 billion in international visitor spending in the first nine months of last year. That compares to $2.28 billion for all of 2019.

Tourism Minister Joseph Schow said those visitors tend to contribute more to the province's economy by staying longer and spending more.

“The demand to visit our province has never been higher,” he said.

“Increased visitor spending bolsters activity at local businesses and creates jobs not just in Edmonton and Calgary but across Alberta.”

Schow said he pitches international visitors to come to Alberta by focusing on the Rocky Mountains and such places as Jasper and Lake Louise, as well as other parts of the province including Drumheller, Pincher Creek, Kananaskis, and cities including Edmonton, Calgary, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.

He pointed to increased air access as also being behind the bump in foreign visitors including growth from Asia, specifically Japan.

“We have direct flights into Alberta, which is essential, I think, to bring back the high-value traveller that we were lacking,” he said.

Schow is also the minister of sport and said Alberta playing host to international events including the world junior hockey championships, Canada-u.s. women's hockey and the Calgary Stampede helps build the province's brand abroad. “All of these events draw international travellers,” Schow said. “And the best part is, they want to come back.”