Alberta’s stunning scenery and iconic views have long been a draw for tourists from around the world. However, climate change is posing a significant threat to this vital industry. Wildfires and smoke haze have become increasingly common in the province, and these events are deterring tourists from visiting. “We do see a drop in bookings,” said Brad Paul, tourism and marketing manager for Alpine Helicopters. “We try to reschedule people to a different day, hopefully, if the smoke clears. Obviously, if it doesn’t clear, that is lost revenue for our company.” A Destination Canada survey last spring suggested that more than half of Americans planning a trip to Canada were reconsidering their plans. The majority said wildfires were a factor. Tourism officials are eager to share the message that not all of Canada is on fire. “Let’s make sure that when we’re talking about the wildfires in Canada, that we’re talking very specifically about the locations and that we’re advising travelers to pay very close attention to single-sourced information that is directly related to that region and that region alone,” said Beth Potter, president of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. Despite these efforts, the smoky haze that travels across provinces can be reason enough for tourists to find fun elsewhere. “We often see in Banff, every year when we have forest fire season the smoke can roll into things and that can obviously bring challenges for sure,” said the MP for Banff-Airdrie, Blake Richards. “But we have so much to offer here in Canada.” Tourism brings in about $100 billion every year across Canada, with about 10 percent going to Alberta. The province’s tourism industry is facing significant challenges due to climate change, and it is essential that action is taken to address this issue.
Climate Change Threatens Alberta’s Tourism Industry
