A $5 million investment from Western Economic Diversification
Canada will help the Tourism Alliance for Western Canada implement an international
marketing campaign to stimulate tourism in Western Canada.
The campaign, announced in Whistler on May 22, will promote
Western Canada as a tourist destination in key target markets across the United
States, Europe and Asia.
“Our government is committed to standing up for Western
Canada’s traditional industries,” said Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State for
Small Business and Tourism.
“The West’s tourism industry includes more than 200,000 small-
and medium-sized businesses, and I am confident this project will contribute to
economic prosperity in western communities of every size.”
The Tourism Alliance of Western Canada is a joint marketing
consortium in which the four western provinces and their respective Tourism
Marketing Agencies work co-operatively to promote growth in tourism within the
private sector. Under this project, each of the Alliance members —
Tourism B.C., Travel Alberta, Tourism Saskatchewan and Travel Manitoba —
will coordinate a series of activities tailored to the needs and priorities of
each province.
"The timing of this announcement is perfect for British
Columbia," commented Rod Harris, president & CEO of Tourism B.C.
"We need to access every resource available to truly maximize the benefits
of hosting the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games — and
this investment will help us do just that."
Tourism is one of Canada’s top economic generators. In the
West, tourism contributes about $18 billion to the economy each year and
directly employs nearly 280,000 westerners in sectors that include
accommodation, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment,
transportation, and travel services.
Western Economic Diversification Canada is a department of the
Government of Canada that works in partnership with the western provinces,
industry associations and communities to promote the development and
diversification of the western economy as well as to represent the interests of
the West in national decision-making.