Travel Alberta is celebrating industry partners' resilience and creativity this Tourism Week, May 24-31

CALGARY, May 21, 2020 /CNW/ - In the face of global tourism's most formidable challenge yet, Alberta tourism organizations and businesses are employing their trademark resourcefulness and staying connected with their customers and communities through the COVID-19 pandemic. For Tourism Week 2020, Travel Alberta is celebrating the ingenuity, resilience, and community pride of Alberta's tourism industry.

Before COVID-19, Alberta's tourism businesses brought in $8.9 billion in revenue, supported by 22,000 businesses and nearly 73,000 jobs in every corner of the province. Tourism was one of the most immediately and hardest-hit sectors. But as their businesses closed to travellers, many companies opened their hearts to their communities—providing new and innovative ways to connect and share Alberta's authentic experiences in breathtaking landscapes.

Throughout Tourism Week, Travel Alberta will be sharing stories of resilience, community pride, and engagement, exemplified by the businesses and organizations that comprise the province's tourism sector.

"Alberta's tourism industry has been faced with unprecedented challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we recognize there will be more challenges to overcome in the months and year ahead. Through it all, our tourism industry has proven to be caring, resilient and adaptive. Our government is committed to responding and providing immediate relief, relaunching and supporting the sector through recovery, and rebuilding and positioning it for long-term growth," said Tanya Fir, Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism.

"I've never been so proud to work in the tourism industry as I am right now. From cities to stables, farms to foothills, lakes to forests, our partners—the incredible people who work every day to showcase the beauty and wonder of our province—continue to make our communities, and our economies, prosper. While this summer and the foreseeable future will look very different for our industry, we will work together to restart and rebuild Alberta's visitor economy, safely and responsibly," said Shelley Grollmuss, Vice President, Industry Development, Travel Alberta.

Travel Alberta Tourism Week Activities

• Travel Alberta is hosting five virtual events to connect industry partners and help them manage through the pandemic:    
• Connections LIVE Webinar: The Alberta (re)Bound Strategy: May 25, 10:00 a.m. MST. Shelley Grollmuss, Vice President, Industry Development, and Karen Soyka, Vice President, Business Development, will introduce Travel Alberta's three-stage strategy to restart and rebuild the province's tourism sector. Register
• Connections LIVE Webinar: Team Alberta Messaging to Restart Tourism in Alberta: May 26, 10:00 a.m. MST. Tannis Gaffney, Vice President, Global Consumer Marketing, will introduce Travel Alberta's latest promotional efforts. Attendees will get a preview of the creative ways we are encouraging Albertans to celebrate their province. Register 
• Connections LIVE Webinar: Funding Programs for Tourism Businesses: May 27, 10:00 a.m. MST. Shelley Grollmuss, Vice President, Industry Development, will outline new funding mechanisms available for tourism businesses, and how to apply. Register 
• Connections LIVE May 28 webinar: Alberta's Economy in a COVID-19 World: May 28, 10:00 a.m. MST. Todd Hirsch, Vice President and Chief Economist, ATB Financial, will explore the impacts of the pandemic on tourism, and highlight potential bright spots as our economy adjusts to new realities. Register
• Alberta Tourism Town Hall: May 28, 1:00 p.m. MST. Learn how Travel Alberta, the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Destination Canada, and the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada are working together to support the province's, and the country's, tourism businesses
  Media are invited to attend or connect with a Travel Alberta representative following the event. Register
• Sharing inspiring stories from partners around the province. Throughout Tourism Week, Travel Alberta will showcase Alberta tourism organizations and businesses that have been doing differently in response to the pandemic
• Video: Tourism partners on the value of Alberta tourism and how we will rebuild. Here is a sneak peek. Watch our social channels for a wrap-up video to be released during Tourism Week: @TravelAlbertaCo and Travel Alberta on LinkedIn

Visit the Travel Alberta Industry Hub for more information about how Travel Alberta is connecting with partners throughout Tourism Week—including a social media toolkit to join the conversation.

Click here for photos or video clips of Alberta's breathtaking landscapes for your stories.

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.
@TravelAlbertaCo
Travel Alberta on LinkedIn
#TourismWorks

SOURCE Travel Alberta