Travel Alberta, the province’s official destination marketing organization, is currently in the midst of its North American summer campaign, Bring Your Boots, inviting travelers to take on the wide range of unique and exciting adventures Alberta has to offer.
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Clients can go canoeing at Elk Island National Park.
// © Travel Alberta |
As the fourth largest province in Canada, roughly the size of Texas, Alberta is a massive playground of grasslands, parklands, plains, mountain ranges, lakes and rivers. Accessible by two international airports — Calgary International Airport and Edmonton International Airport — and serviced by more than 25 different airlines, travelers need not be intimidated by Alberta’s size.
“Alberta is big, but easy to get around,” said trade development manager for Travel Alberta Jennifer Anderson. “There are plenty of ways to see it all: fly, take the train, ride the bus, drive your own vehicle or rent one of ours. Our province is broken down into six unique regions where travelers can experience everything from dramatic mountain views, blue green lakes, striking hoodoos, ancient boreal forests and vibrant cosmopolitan cities.”
With such accessible and varied terrain, it is no wonder Alberta beckons all walks of outdoor enthusiasts from around the world.
“We promote Alberta as a tourist destination regionally, nationally and internationally to increase the number of visitors to and within Alberta,” said Anderson. “The U.S. is our largest tourism market.”
There is sure to be something for everyone in Alberta. From glaciers along the Icefields Parkway to the aurora borealis in northern Alberta, the Canadian province teems with natural wonders as well as manmade quirks, such as oversized roadside attractions — look for a 30-foot-tall Kielbasa in the village of Mundare and a giant, one-ton mallard duck in Andrew — to testify to its charming and playful character.
“A vacation to Alberta can be as active, relaxing, educational or inspirational as the visitor wants to make it,” said Anderson. “If you’ve never experienced the majesty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, gone fossil hunting in the badlands, had a western barbecue featuring world-famous Alberta beef or walked on a larger-than-life glacier, then you are in for something very special.”
In Alberta, temperate, warm weather lasts well into the autumn months, and extra daylight hours, starting in April, allow for a range of activities such as fishing, rafting, canoeing, cycling, hunting, climbing and wildlife viewing.
“Alberta is a four-season destination offering a variety of experiences and events year-round. We don’t like to boast, but we get more sunshine annually — 312 days — than any other province or territory in Canada,” said Anderson.
Alberta’s snow-filled winters, on the other hand, transform the province into a powder-chaser’s paradise. By November and well into April, Alberta’s Big Six mountain resorts open for business. In addition to the usual snow sports such as skiing and snowboarding, visitors may also find themselves walking through frozen canyons, tobogganing, sleigh-riding or soaking in outdoor hot springs.
Agents can learn all about Alberta and keep up to date with its offerings through Travel Alberta’s agent-dedicated website, TravelAlberta.com/Trade.
“Within our travel trade site is an engaging online learning tool called the Alberta Academy,” said Anderson. “It features four modules designed to help agents become Alberta specialists.”
Travel Alberta also takes an integrated approach to its marketing campaigns and promotions, participating frequently at trade shows and holding special Alberta events, to ensure that the message shared with consumers is consistent with the information passed along to travel-trade clients.
“We work closely with our Alberta industry partners to further promote the province and provide assistance to tour operators who are promoting Alberta tour packages or looking to develop new programs,” Anderson said. “Alberta is clean, safe, easy to get to and one heck of a good time. We can connect your clients with some of the planet’s most beautiful wilderness areas and fascinating cultural escapes that are sure to stimulate their senses,” said Anderson. “Besides the pristine beauty of our geography, it’s our genuine Western hospitality that keeps bringing visitors back for more.”
The Details
Travel Alberta
www.travelalberta.com
