The Voice of Canada News

Economic Development, Trade and Tourism Minister Tanya Fir issued the following statement about Tourism Week, May 26 to June 2:

“Every year, millions of travellers head to our incredible province to experience its beauty, our diverse culture and our unique destinations. From the badlands to the Rocky Mountains to our open Prairie skies, Alberta is a place of untapped majesty to explore.

“Alberta’s growing tourism industry is a cornerstone of our economy. In 2016, nearly 35 million visitors spent about $8.5 billion in Alberta to generate more than a billion dollars in revenue for our province.

“Our vital tourism industry also creates much-needed employment in our province, which is the primary goal of our government. The sector helps support nearly 130,000 full-time jobs in Alberta, including 62,000 direct jobs.

“As the new minister responsible for tourism, I am excited to help make Alberta the best place in North America to visit, to live, work, start a business and raise a family.

“Our government will get our economy back on track. We will develop a 10-year tourism strategy that will bring more tourists, investment and business to help our great province thrive once again.

“This week, I encourage all Albertans to get out and discover more of what our magnificent province has to offer.”