Tourism in Alberta 2011 A Summary of 2011 Visitor Numbers and Characteristics June 2013 Alberta 2011 Due to methodological changes to the 2011 Travel Survey of Residents of Canada, there is a historical break in the data series. Therefore, commencing in 2011, data for Alberta and Other Canada may not be compared with previous years. Introduction Whether to see their friends and relatives, for business, or for pleasure, 35.3 million person-visits were made in 2011 to destinations in Alberta by residents of Alberta, and from other parts of Canada, the United States, and overseas countries. This includes same day and overnight trips for Albertans and residents of other parts of Canada, and overnight trips only for U.S. and overseas visitors. To better understand the volume and characteristics of these visitors, Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation has prepared a special analyses of the 2011 Travel Survey of Residents of Canada (TSRC) and the 2011 International Travel Survey (ITS) which are both conducted by Statistics Canada. These consumer surveys provide tourism information for travel in Alberta by Canadians and trips to the province made by U.S. and overseas visitors. This summary highlights key findings only. For more information on tourism in Alberta, please contact Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation or visit www.tpr.alberta.ca Who Travels in Alberta? All trips: More visits in Alberta are made by residents Origin of Person-Visits in Alberta in of Alberta than by other Canadians, U.S. and 2011 overseas visitors. Of the 35.3 million person-visits in (N = 35.3 Million Person-Visits) the province, 30.4 million (86%) were by Albertans. Another 3.4 million (10%) were by residents of other parts of Canada. The remaining 1.5 million person- visits (4%) came from the U.S. (2%) and overseas (2%). Alberta Albertans living in the Calgary and Area Tourism 86% Region travelled more than any other segment of the Other province’s population with 25% of all the person-visits Overseas USA Canada in Alberta in 2011. Residents of the Alberta Central 2% 2% 10% Tourism Region followed with 23% and residents of the Edmonton and Area Tourism Region accounted for 17%. The Alberta South Tourism Region residents took 13% of all the person-visits in the province, followed by residents of the Alberta North Tourism Region with 6% and residents of the Canadian Rockies Tourism Region with 2%. Overnight trips: Approximately 41% of all visits in the province included at least one overnight stop, yielding 14.4 million overnight person-visits in 2011. Approximately 33% of all visits in the province by Albertans included spending one or more nights away from home (10.2 million overnight person-visits). Residents of the Edmonton and Area Tourism Region and Calgary and Area Tourism Region both accounted for just under one-fifth (18%) each of all overnight travel in the province in 2011. This was followed by residents of the Alberta Central Tourism Region (17%), the Alberta South Tourism Region (8%), the Alberta North Tourism Region (7%) and the Canadian Rockies Tourism Region (1%). Alberta 2011 Who Travels in Alberta? Major inbound overnight markets: Key sources of overnight inbound travel to Alberta include neighbouring provinces, northwestern U.S., and major European and Asian markets. British Columbia is a substantive source of Key Inbound Overnight Markets — 2011 inbound travel to Alberta (1,146,000 overnight Overnight Person-Visits person-visits), followed by Saskatchewan (In Rank Order) (845,000), Ontario (451,000), and Manitoba (172,000). British Columbia 1,146,000 Saskatchewan 845,000 With 157,000 overnight person-visits, the United Ontario 451,000 Kingdom generated more overnight travel in Manitoba 172,000 Alberta in 2011 than any American state. Major United Kingdom 157,000 American states included California (122,000 California 122,000 overnight person-visits), Texas (64,000), and Quebec 92,000 Washington (53,000). Germany 74,000 Overnight person-visits from Japan decreased Texas 64,000 slightly to 46,000 in 2011 from 52,000 the Washington 53,000 previous year, a decrease of 13%. However, the Australia 58,000 Asia/Pacific segment saw a small increase of Japan 46,000 approximately 2% in 2011 (252,000) compared to Montana 46,000 overnight person-visits in 2010 (248,000). The Netherlands 33,000 Main Purpose of Overnight Travel Overnight person-visits in Alberta totalled 14.4 million in 2011. Across all markets, the visiting friends and relatives (VFR) segment represented 42% of Main Purpose of Overnight Travel in 2011 all overnight travel in the province (6.10 million person-visits). (Overnight Person-Visits in '000s) The overnight pleasure travel segment Alberta 1,091 4,278 4,202 592 accounted for 39% (5.62 million person- visits), business travel accounted for 12% of Other Canada 426 1,420 714 234 all overnight trips in the province and 7% were for other purposes. USA 191 185 329 70 The pleasure market represents just under Overseas 78 213 371 36 one-half of the overnight travel in the province by American visitors (42%) and just Total 1,786 6,096 5,616 932 over one-half of overnight travel by overseas visitors (53%). Visiting friends and relatives Business VFR accounted for 24% of overnight travel by U.S. Pleasure Other visitors and 31% of overseas visitors. Alberta 2011 Accommodation in Alberta Over the course of 2011, visitors spent 47.70 million person-nights in Alberta. Twenty-seven per cent of these person-nights (12.99 million) were spent in the province’s hotels, motels, resorts, cottages, bed and breakfast establishments, and other commercial roofed properties. A further eleven per cent were spent in campgrounds and trailer parks in the province (5.22 million). Over one-half (58%) of all person-nights spent in Alberta were spent in the homes of friends and relatives, private cottages, and other non-commercial accommodations (27.69 million). Four per cent were spent in other accommodations. Accommodation in Alberta in 2011 (Person-Nights in '000s) 5,670 4,201 12,598 - 3,223 463 8,714 - 1,806 214 1,406 545 2,291 341 4,976 1,254 12,990 5,219 27,694 1,799 Hotels,Motels, Resorts Camping/Trailer Parks Private Homes/Cottages Other Albertans spent approximately 12.60 million person-nights in the homes or cottages of their friends and relatives. They also spent 5.67 million person-nights in the province’s hotels, motels, and other commercial roofed properties. Approximately, forty-four per cent of all person-nights spent in commercial properties are by Albertans. Albertans accounted for 80% of all camping nights spent in the province. Average Length of Stay for Overnight Visitors The average length of stay for all overnight visits to Alberta is 3.3 nights. Although Albertans account Average Length of Stay in Alberta for the greatest number of overnight person-visits, 2011 the have the shortest average length of stay at 2.2 nights. The longest average length of stay All Overnight Visits 3.3 belongs to the overseas market, with 12.7 nights Canada 2.7 on average for each visit. This is not surprising due to the distance that overseas visitors are required Alberta 2.2 to travel to get to Alberta. Visitors from Ontario B.C. 4.4 have the next longest average length of stay at 5.9 nights, followed by visitors from the United States Saskatchewan 3.2 at 5.1 nights. Ontario 5.9 United States 5.1 Overseas 12.7 Alberta 2011 Seasonality The summer months are more likely to generate travel in Alberta than are the winter months. The lure of July through September is especially evident for American and overseas visitors, with close to one-half of all overnight visits (46% for the U.S. and 43% for overseas markets) taking place in this three month period. Approximately 77% of all overseas travel to Alberta is made during the six month period of April through September (Quarter 2 and Quarter 3). Calendar Quarter of Overnight Visits in Alberta - 2011 January - April - July - October - March June September December (Quarter 1) (Quarter 2) (Quarter 3) (Quarter 4) All Overnight 18% 28% 33% 21% By Market Canada 19% 27% 32% 22% Alberta 19% 27% 32% 22% B.C. 15% 26% 36% 23% Saskatchewan 19% 28% 29% 24% Ontario 14% 39% 22% 25% USA 12% 26% 46% 16% Overseas 10% 34% 43% 13% Visitors from Alberta and Canada as a whole tend to visit the province more in the third quarter (32%) and the second quarter (27%) with fifty-nine per cent of their overnight person-visits occurring in these two quarters. Fifty-seven per cent of the visitors from Saskatchewan come to the province during the second and third quarter. Thirty-six per cent of all visitors from British Columbia come during the third quarter. Thirty-nine per cent of visitors from Ontario visit during the second quarter. Overnight visitors from the United States and overseas concentrate their visits to Alberta during the third quarter (July, August and September) at 46% and 43%, respectively. By way of contrast, only 12% of U.S. and 10% of overseas visitors come to Alberta during the first quarter (January, February and March), which is the smallest proportion of all visitor origins. U.S. and overseas visitors also have the smallest proportion of visits to Alberta during the fourth quarter (October, November and December) at 16% and 13%, respectively. Alberta 2011 Overnight Tourism in Alberta’s Regions Major urban areas are magnets for overnight travel in Alberta. Over the course of 2011, more than one-quarter (25%) of all person-nights spent in the province were spent in the Calgary and Area Tourism Region.