Tourism in Alberta is in good shape this spring due to various attractions and successful plans in and nearby Calgary.

With the weather warming up, the number of tourists coming to the city of Calgary is expected to increase. Tourists have numerous activities to do and places to go within the city and its neighbouring towns.

In a phone interview, Cassandra McAuley, Executive Director of Stakeholder Engagement and Destination Development of Tourism Calgary, said that there are multiple attractions that will pull tourists into the city.

For families, one of the most relevant places to go to is the Calgary Zoo which is one of the consistent recreational places in the city. There is also the yearly anticipated Calgary Stampede that will happen this summer.

Shopping is a huge trend in the city as it showcases enormous malls like Chinook and Market Mall. One of the reasons to best shop in the city is also because of the province’s exemption from provincial sales tax which causes cheaper products.

For people looking for physical activities, there is the Brookfield Residential YMCA at Seton, which has just recently opened this January. It is the world’s largest YMCA, beating Rocky Ridge YMCA which is also located here in Calgary.

McAuley stated that despite the recession last 2014, the city was able to do well in Tourism due to long-term strategies that was laid out.

The city has put efforts towards leisure marketing which resulted to increased overnight stays in hotel.

McAuley added that last 2017, there was a total of 16.9 million visitors. This May, they will report the statistics for tourism in the past year.

The city also serves as a gateway for nearby towns. Tourism Calgary believes that the city and these towns benefit from each other, thus, working with each other is important.

Banff has its own scenery to showcase, from its luscious green landscapes to the relaxing vibe of the town.

Drumheller is the best place to learn and explore. Tourists can travel back in time by going to the Royal Tyrrell Museum or Dinosaur Provincial Park.

Once in a while, tourists decide to go to Calgary before or after visiting these places.

The Calgary International Airport is also a huge factor to the increased number of tourists. Reid Fiest, Manager of External Communications and Media Relations of The Calgary Airport Authority, said through email interview that they are expecting strong growth this year.

Last year, they had 17.3 million guests come through YYC which also hit a new record for them. It was an average of 47,000 guests a day.

37 per cent of the guests had connecting flights which was higher than both Toronto and Vancouver airports.

Fiest said, “We’re excited to serve all our guests, with an elevated experience.”