Alberta’s tourism sector outperforms rest of Canada with record spending, U.S. visitors rising

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Tourism Alberta says it hauled in $15.2 billion last year from visitor spending, setting a new record for tourism earnings in the province.

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Jon Mamela, senior vice-president and chief commercial officer with Tourism Alberta, attributes the growth to the group’s ongoing strategy, but said the agency continues to aim higher.

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“Sometimes maybe we’re harder on ourselves. We thought we might even be better (than $15.2 billion),” Mamela said. “You’re trying to always be bullish on the outcome of good work being done, but (we’re) certainly pleased with seeing the results and continued progress,” he said.

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By 2035, Alberta aims to bring in $25 billion from tourism alone. In order to achieve its goal, Tourism Alberta has been following its Higher Ground strategy, which focuses on sustainable growth and enhancing the province’s reputation as a top year-round destination.

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After bringing in $14.4 billion in 2024, the province grew the tourism spend by a little more than five per cent in 2025.

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Mamela explained that Tourism Alberta has worked to market the province as a travel destination to a variety of other countries, while securing more direct flights to the province.

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In addition to attracting more visitors, Mamela said the group has also invested “tens of millions” in Alberta’s tourism offerings outside of the Rocky Mountains.

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“A lot of our investment is towards new product; getting Albertans and international visitors to come and see other parts of the province,” Mamela said.

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According to Alberta Minister for Tourism Andrew Boitchenko, other provinces are trying to emulate Alberta’s successes.

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“We have other provinces actually calling us and asking what exactly we’re doing to see the growth, because we are outperforming other provinces,” Boitchenko said.

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While Canada had a five per cent drop in international travellers, Tourism Alberta said the province had four per cent growth. Similarly, where Canada had a six per cent decline in travellers from the United States, Alberta saw five per cent growth in visitors from the country.

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Boitchenko said previously Alberta’s tourism industry was “untapped,” and potentially under-appreciated in the province. He highlighted that the industry supports 86,000 jobs in Alberta, meaning it accounts for roughly 10 per cent of all employment in the province.

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Indigenous tourism

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A growing driver of tourism in Alberta has been the burgeoning interest in Indigenous tourism. Boitchenko said the Alberta government has kicked in $12 million to support Indigenous tourism since 2021.

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Chelsea Quirk, chief executive for Indigenous Tourism Alberta, explained that Indigenous offerings tend to be more authentic than other attractions.