Tourism in Alberta

Tourism in Alberta, Canada

Alberta has been a tourist destination since the early days of the 20th Century, with attractions including national parks, National Historic Sites of Canada, urban arts and cultural facilities, outdoor locales for skiing, hiking and camping, shopping locales such as West Edmonton Mall, outdoor festivals, professional athletic events, international sporting competitions such as the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Winter Games, as well as more eclectic attractions.

Calgary and Edmonton, and larger regions Canadian Rockies (Banff National Park and Jasper National Park) are the most popular destinations for visitors. West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton is the most visited attraction in the province. Around one million visitors each year attend Calgary's Stampede, a celebration of Canada's own Wild West and the cattle ranching industry. Edmonton, known as Canada's Festival City, boasts a summer calendar of non stop festivals, including the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival and the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. Alberta tourism is split into four large regions by the government. As of 2014; Alberta North which saw 1.81 million visits, Alberta Central in saw 8.45 million and Alberta South with 4.29 million and the Canadian Rockies with 4.35 million. As well, Calgary & Area and Edmonton & Areas encompass the two largest cities, Edmonton and Calgary and areas around them. while Edmonton & Area had 8.43 million.

The Canadian Rockies in Alberta's southwest are a major attraction for climbing and hiking, with an extensive park system and mountain peaks reaching over 3000 m. The Kananaskis Country park system has numerous trails for hiking and horseback riding, and rafting is done on some of the rivers.

Alberta is an important destination for tourists who love to ski. It boasts several world class ski resorts, such as Nakiska and Fortress in Kananaskis Country, Sunshine Village, Mount Norquay and Lake Louise Mountain Resort in the Banff area or Marmot Basin near Jasper. Canada Olympic Park, with its downhill ski and ski jumping facilities, is located in the city of Calgary.

Hunters and fishermen from around the world are able to take home impressive trophies and tall tales from their experiences in Alberta's wilderness. The Bow River is famous for fly fishing and its trout population. Many of Alberta's lakes contain amenities for fishing, such as campgrounds and boat launches.

Five national parks are located in the province of Alberta, with Banff, Jasper, Waterton Lakes and Elk Island National Park being the most popular tourist destinations. 69 provincial parks, 33 wildland provincial parks, 248 provincial recreation areas, 16 ecological reserves, 3 wilderness areas, 149 natural areas and a heritage rangeland are also protected on a provincial level. Alberta contains five of Canada's 13 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These are Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (includes Banff and Jasper National Parks), Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, Wood Buffalo National Park, Dinosaur Provincial Park and Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump.

Located in East Central Alberta is Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions, a popular tourist attraction operated out of Stettler that draws visitors from around the world. It boasts one of the few operable steam trains in the world, offering trips through the rolling prairie scenery. Another popular tourist attraction located near the National Historic Site of Canada of Stirling is the Galt Historic Railway Park A restored 1890 North West Territories International Train Station, the station has many Displays of life and travel in the 1880s. The station was moved from its former location in Coutts, Alberta, Canada, and Sweetgrass, Montana, USA border to the current location near Stirling in 2000. Tourists also ride the Canadian, the Rocky Mountaineer, and the Royal Canadian Pacific, which are tourist oriented passenger services which operate on scenic routes through the Canadian Rockies.