Jace Anderson, executive director of Tourism Medicine Hat, says the city has a place in Alberta's new tourism strategy. (Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

Medicine Hat has a place in Alberta’s new tourism strategy, says tourism director

Feb 16, 2024 | 5:17 PM

Alberta’s new tourism strategy will bring more attention to smaller destinations like Medicine Hat with a plan that takes into consideration the development of these places, according to the head of the city’s tourism agency.

Jace Anderson, executive director of non-profit Tourism Medicine Hat, said Thursday everyone has a place in the province’s plan that came together after years of consultation.

“Medicine Hat and rural Alberta can see themselves in the new tourism strategy, and so that’s very encouraging for a province wide approach to what lies ahead for us as an industry,” Anderson told CHAT News.

Alberta experienced a record $10.7 billion in tourism spending in 2022, a $600-million increase from 2019, supporting some 80,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

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Alberta hopes its new strategy will bring about a cumulative economic impact of $203 billion in visitor expenditures, a $159-billion impact to the province’s GDP and 190,000 full-time equivalent jobs by 2035.

Tourism minister Joseph Schow said earlier this week the plan unlocks the province’s potential.

“The long-term provincial tourism strategy will unleash Alberta’s visitor economy potential, driving tourists from around the world to our beautiful province,” Schow said from Jasper, Atla.

“This strategy will also create thousands of mortgage-paying, grocery-buying jobs for people throughout Alberta,” he added.

“I am certain that our tourism strategy will increase Alberta’s competitiveness in the global tourism market while showing off our beautiful vistas and the warm hospitality of our people.”

Leadership and alignment, competitive product, people and careers, expansion of access and Indigenous tourism were listed as sections in the new strategy.

READ MORE: Alberta tourism spending returns to pre-pandemic levels

Premier Danielle Smith said tourism has a positive impact on all Albertans, even those who live outside tourism centres like Banff, Jasper and others.

“When our economy grows, it offers more opportunity and improves everyone’s way of life,” Smith said.

“As Albertans, we know a lot about the opportunities around our province available to us, but there are experiences and locations that even we are less aware of.”

Wednesday’s announcement comes a day after the province revealed the upcoming launch of a new immigration stream coming March 1 that aims to help the tourism and hospitality industry address labour gaps and challenges, officials said.