Staying the Course a theme at the industry’s AGM

Change is in the air. And the tourism industry is one of the first to feel changes in the economy. So when the office of the Honourable Cindy Ady, Alberta Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation conducted its own survey of Edmonton area operators last fall, the news was reassuring.

“Our survey found that many of you had a healthy (summer) season,” Ady told a crowd of 135 industry leaders at the 11th Annual General Meeting of the Edmonton Capital Region Tourism Partnership in late January. “A lot of businesses saw more Albertans exploring their own backyards, and that’s something Travel Alberta hopes to foster with the three-year Stay Campaign.”

Ady acknowledged that the economic downturn has caused some travellers from outside Alberta’s borders to stop travelling, but it’s all relative. She cites recent numbers that show January through November of 2008 Alberta’s overnight direct entries, which account for about half the total number of international visitors to Alberta, decreased less than one per cent over the previous year. However nationally, that decrease was 4.8 per cent.

“Alberta is still holding its own compared to the rest of the country,” says Ady. “This is a good indication we are on the right track, that we should stay the course as we move forward in these uncertain economic times.”

Edmonton Economic Development Corporation Vice-President of Economic and Tourism Development, Ken Fiske, concurs that projections for 2009 show a softening market, with an expected four per cent drop in hotel occupancy from 2008 in the Edmonton region. However, advanced hotel bookings indicate that the prospects for the winter months are positive and that operators expect to capture the same portion of tourists as last year.

“Our short-term strategy is to focus on our close-in markets of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northern B.C., the Yukon and Northwest Territories,” says Fiske. “We’ll be maintaining a competitive edge with great value. We’ll also maintain our presence in Eastern Canada, mostly in the conference market, and continue maintenance in the U.S., although not aggressively. The U.K. and Mexico markets are our sustainable force.”

Fiske also told the AGM audience that environmental responsibility and practices are becoming increasingly important to the business and leisure traveller. “Sustainability is not a value-added anymore. It is a necessity. We have to go way beyond towels.”

The Shaw Conference Centre is leading industry green practices with its “Simple Steps Program”, which includes organic waste and recycled garbage initiatives – reducing its environmental footprint by 40 per cent. Team Edmonton was formed by Shaw to develop a program for the region’s hospitality industry.

“We have to work collectively”, Fiske maintains. “We are going to be rolling out a campaign that will set the example for Canada and North America.”

The Tourism AGM, held at the Radisson Hotel Edmonton South on January 28, was also an opportunity to hear about the restructuring of Travel Alberta, which officially becomes an independent body from the province in April. Quincy Smith, the new Chair of Travel Alberta Corporation, promised it will be a ground-breaking prototype for Alberta’s new approach to governance.

The key message of the AGM was that Alberta’s $5.6 billion tourism industry is still healthy. Heads in the audience nodded in agreement to Fiske’s rallying cry for the region’s tourism partnership. “Edmonton will weather this storm better than anyone else. We can’t let ourselves get talked into a recession. We are alive and well in 2009. Spread the word.”

Media Contacts:
Lesley MacDonald, EEDC Director, Media Relations
Phone: 780.969.0463
Cell: 780.884.7972
Email: lmacdonald@edmonton.com

Erin Larson
Communications
Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation
Phone: (780) 415-0918