Calgary tourism operators have an upbeat forecast for 2004 after a difficult year plagued by forest fires and fallout from the Iraq war, SARS and a faltering U.S. economy.
Tourism Calgary chairman and CEO Joe Fardell told the agency’s annual meeting last week that industry players appear confident of a positive travel season ahead after “challenge, turmoil and uncertainty” over the past 12 months.
“Good news and a positive attitude go a long way to marching down the road to recovery,” Fardell told a packed audience at the Telus Convention Centre.
Fardell said Tourism Calgary has undertaken a number of new initiatives to capitalize on an anticipated recovery for tourism in southern Alberta. They include an enhanced website aimed at promoting Calgary among travellers, the industry and tourism media, as well as a new incentive reward program and targeted marketing to encourage meeting planners and corporate executives to hold conferences in the city.
The Calgary Incentive Plan, a western-themed partnership between the agency and industry members including local hotels and Travel Alberta, is offering welcome gifts, free stays, admission passes and other perks to encourage companies to book their conventions in 2005, 2007 and 2009. Those years are being targeted because research has indicated large corporate functions often alternate every second year between destinations in Western and Eastern Canada. Confirmed bookings for the next several years include meetings of the 2005 American Association of Petroleum Geologists (9,130 room nights), the 2006 International Air Cargo Association (4,200 room nights) and the 2008 Lions Club International Leadership Forum (7,100 room nights).
Tourism Calgary chairman Gordon Johnson said the agency marked a milestone by signing a five-year funding agreement with the City of Calgary, although securing other sources of ongoing tourism promotion funding still remains an issue. Operators are hoping for good news in the upcoming provincial budget, to be released this week, he added.
Travel operators must also continue to react to changing travel patterns that have seen a growth in the number of close-to-home visitors to replace the decline in international visitors, Johnson said.
“We can’t ignore the impact of 2003 . . . (but) there’s nothing like a crisis to bring new partners together,” Johnson said.
He noted Tourism Calgary managed to build financial reserves of $241,349 over the past year, a move aimed at ensuring ongoing stability in uncertain times.
“Together, we will put the challenges of 2003 behind us and work to advance the industry.”
Web watch:
www.tourismcalgary.ca
