Travel Alberta has completed a long-awaited restructure, with the creation of a separate body responsible for carrying out international marketing activities for the western province.
Under the restructure, a marketing council made up of travel industry volunteers will devise strategy and target key objectives.
It will execute those activities and liaise with two separate organisations:Travel Alberta, which caters for the domestic market, and Travel Alberta International, which is responsible for overseas efforts. Key regions will include the UK and Germany, Asia-Pacific and North America.
Amanda Newby continues as UK-based representative to help develop a stronger core of marketing activities such as promotion, sales calls, consumer advertising and specialist agent training.
Travel Alberta International was formed as a separate operating company by Edmonton Tourism and Calgary Visitors and Conventions Bureau in order to pitch for the government contract.
However, manager Greg Belland said TAI will operate independently from both destinations.
“Our new approach to the UK market is to increase consumer awareness of Alberta and be part of the Canadian Tourism Commission’s advertising campaigns and specialist agents’ programme, which we have not been involved with before,” he added.
“Alberta’s presence at international trade shows over the past couple of years has also been inconsistent and we have a lot to do in creating more destination awareness.”
Belland said Alberta has been given extra funding with a total budget of around £2.5m, of which about £600,000 will be spent in Europe. He declined to say how much will go to the UK market.
Although the province is seeing more British skiers on its slopes in the winter, he says UK operators at Canada’s West Marketplace have been requesting alternative year-round product. TAI is planning a tour operator educational to the province early next year to highlight the alternatives to skiing. Activities will include dog-sledding, snowshoeing treks and bobsleigh runs, as well as seasonal spectator sports.
“One of our objectives is to make Alberta a four-season destination,” said Belland. “More resort hotels and ranches are extending their season and introducing extra activities and tours.”
Alberta will have a greater presence at the Spotlight Canada show held in London next March and will host Rendez-vous Canada 2000 in Calgary in May. In November the town of Lethbridge in the southern Rockies will host next year’s Canada’s West Marketplace.