The Tourism Industry Association of Alberta (TIAA) concluded their provincial tourism town hall series in Lethbridge, bringing together partners from Travel Alberta, Indigenous Tourism Alberta, and WestJet to discuss expanding the visitor economy in the Medicine Hat and Lethbridge region along the Highway 3 corridor. The goal was to ensure that all tourism operators in the region understood the opportunities available and to foster collaboration and partnership. Previous stops in Fort McMurray, Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer provided a platform for tourism partners to discuss growth opportunities in their respective regions.
According to Stavros Karlos, director of policy, research, and government affairs with TIAA, last year’s research by Travel Alberta showed that the Lethbridge and Medicine Hat region had the highest proportion of residents who welcomed visitors to their community at 88%. This welcoming attitude is seen as a positive sign for the future of visitation in southern Alberta. Erin Crane, the CEO of Tourism Lethbridge, emphasized the importance of open conversations between travel organizations, especially when focusing on regional reach. Collaboration among partners throughout the region is seen as essential for bringing economic impact to the area.
Partners like Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump are already attracting over 200 tour buses each year, highlighting the potential for spreading tourism more evenly across the region to benefit everyone. Terry Goertzen, vice president of economic development for Travel Alberta, noted that while Lethbridge is still catching up to the rest of the province in terms of tourism recovery, there is optimism for a bounce back. With upcoming events like the under 25 curling tournament and the return of annual events like Whoop-Up Days and the Dragon Boat Festival, the tourism economy in Lethbridge is expected to rebuild soon.
Despite the slower recovery compared to other parts of the province, Lethbridge has not hosted as many major events recently, which may have contributed to the lag in tourism recovery. However, recent data on international travel exceeding the pre-pandemic levels in 2019 is a positive sign for the industry’s rebound. Partnerships and collaborative efforts among tourism organizations, including hosting more events and spreading tourism across the region, are seen as key strategies for boosting the economy in Lethbridge. The positive reception from residents and the willingness to welcome visitors bode well for the future of tourism in southern Alberta.
