Travel Alberta and Tourism Calgary partner with industry to develop new experiences that support the tourism economy

05/03/2020 14:19

Media invited to be among the first to participate in four new program-specific
tourism experiences

CALGARY, March 5, 2020 /CNW/ - Travel Alberta's award-winning experiential travel training program, SHiFT: Transforming Products to Experiences, comes to Calgary, March 9-12, 2020. As the only program of its kind in Canada, SHiFT helps tourism businesses and destination marketing professionals learn how to develop and promote memorable experiences, increase their competitiveness and develop new revenue streams.

Tourism in Alberta is an $8.9 billion growth industry, job creator, economic diversifier and community builder—and it all starts with the businesses focused on providing remarkable experiences for their guests.

Developing new tourism experiences throughout the province and driving visitation year-round are top priorities, as the tourism industry focuses on achieving the Government of Alberta's ambitious target to grow tourism revenue to $20 billion by 2030. Leveraging programs like SHiFT 2020, Travel Alberta and Tourism Calgary are working in close partnership with experience leaders in Calgary and beyond to support the continued growth and success of the tourism economy.

Since SHiFT launched in 2015, over 78 immersive tourism experiences have been developed in communities throughout the province.

"SHiFT is Travel Alberta's most in-depth experience development training program, and one of the things that sets it apart is a focus on the power of collaboration," said Royce Chwin, CEO, Travel Alberta. "Not only have graduates from this program created goosebump-worthy experiences, they have also become incredible industry ambassadors, sharing their knowledge and best practices with Alberta tourism partners."

SHiFT combines classroom training with excursions to local businesses that are piloting new experiences created specifically for the program. SHiFT 2020 participants will take part in, and learn from, new experiences created by CalgaryWalks, Eau Claire Distillery, Hotel Arts and Grey Eagle Resort & Casino.

"Guided by Calgary's Destination Strategy, Tourism Calgary's aspiration is to make ours the ultimate host city," said Cindy Ady, CEO, Tourism Calgary. "Participating in the SHiFT program has brought Calgary one step closer to achieving this vision through creating new tourism experiences that will create year-round activity and will support the tourism economy for the benefit of visitors and Calgarians."

Now in its sixth year, SHiFT has also been held in Jasper (2015), Edmonton (2016), Drumheller (2017), Banff (2018) and Sylvan Lake (2019).

Media are invited to the following SHiFT events:

The Whispers of Whisky Row: An experience built around the theme and stories of prohibition history in Turner Valley and southern Alberta.
Date: Tuesday, March 10
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Eau Claire Distillery – 113 Sunset Blvd. SW, Turner Valley
Arts Class: Blending local art and culinary elements together for a hands-on molecular gastronomy experience.
Date: Wednesday, March 11
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Hotel Arts lobby, 119 12 Ave. SW, Calgary
Note: Travel Alberta CEO Royce Chwin and Tourism Calgary CEO Cindy Ady will join SHiFT participants for this experience.
Showcase Meal Experience – Interactive Indigenous family style dinner: Guests will participate in an Indigenous ceremony and become members of the resort's culinary team, learning how to prepare some Indigenous dishes and about the importance of food in Indigenous culture and history.
Date: Thursday, March 12
Time: 6:15 p.m.
Location: Grey Eagle Resort & Casino, 3777 Grey Eagle Dr., Calgary
Note: SHiFT graduation takes place prior to the Indigenous meal prep experience.

For more information about what you can expect, please contact Travel Alberta or Tourism Calgary. A wide range of engaging visuals and interview opportunities will be available at each event.

About Travel Alberta

Travel Alberta is the destination development and promotion organization of the Government of Alberta. We promote Alberta as a desirable place to travel, work, live, play, invest and learn. Working with businesses throughout the province, we capitalize on Alberta's breathtaking landscapes and world-class hospitality to develop memorable experiences for visitors to enjoy, in all regions, in all seasons. Our work directly and indirectly benefits our province, driving visitation and revenue, diversifying the economy, providing jobs, encouraging economic investment and enhancing quality of life for Albertans and their communities.

Established as a Crown corporation on April 1, 2009, we operate under the authority of the Travel Alberta Act within the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism.

To learn more about Travel Alberta's strategy and programs visit industry.travelalberta.com.

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About Tourism Calgary

Tourism Calgary is the official destination marketing, sales and development organization for Calgary's tourism industry. For more than 50 years, the organization's primary purpose has been to promote Calgary and area as the destination of choice. With a vision of making Calgary the ultimate host city, Tourism Calgary markets the city locally, nationally and internationally and advocates for its ongoing development as a destination. The organization hosts and attracts visitors, events, meetings and conventions and activates the city by fostering the growth of shareable, memorable experiences. Calgary's tourism industry contributes more than $2 billion in visitor spending by nearly 8 million visitors annually. For more information about Tourism Calgary, see www.visitcalgary.com.