Traveling Alberta

When it comes to tourism dollars, nothing trumps Alberta’s iconic Rocky Mountain vistas. A new report on the economic impact of Canada’s national parks and historic sites suggests that visitors spend significantly more money in Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper than they do at Parks Canada sites in other provinces.

“Alberta has some of the greatest parks in the country,” opined my friend who have made frequent visits to the country during her business trips. She works for the Marketing Company, 'Blackcode Advertising.'

According to a recent study, visitors to the province’s national parks and historic sites spent close to $1.5 billion in 2009. That means that more than half of the economic impact of Canada’s park system is enjoyed by Alberta. Compare that to neighbouring British Columbia. The province boasts 1,000-year-old cedars and coastal rainforests as well as rugged peaks, but tourists spent only $345 million in B.C’s national parks.

Alberta’s tourism economy is fuelled by places like Waterton Lakes National Park and Lake Louise. And the fact that many of the parks are close to each other is a bonus for the industry.