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Economic Performance:
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Calgary Region Cluster
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Calgary Region
Cluster Portfolio
Tourism, Art &
Entertainment
Calgary's Tourism,
Arts and Entertainment cluster is a leader in the Northwest. While growing
more rapidly than its competitors it is still of modest scale. Nonetheless,
the cluster has an emerging brand image as the 'Heart of the New West'
that is supported by a diversity of regional assets.
The cluster includes
scenic and sightseeing transportation, performing arts, such as the theatre,
symphony and contemporary music, spectator sports, heritage institutions,
amusement parks, gambling, major parks, accommodations (hotels and motels),
as well as supporting suppliers, from restaurants and retail to catering.
As a share of the total cluster, accommodations are largest with a strong
presence of amusements, gaming and recreation.
Performing arts and
spectator sports are also significant players in this cluster. In general,
these sectors are commensurate with the average concentration for all
of Canada. The one exception is performing arts and spectator sports which
stand out as substantially more specialized than the Canadian average.
The growth of this cluster has been very healthy.
In the long term,
the global outlook for tourism is excellent with an expected tripling
of tourists by 2020 and growth to a US$10 trillion industry, employing
328 million people by 2010. In the short term, due to the recent events
in the United States and the resulting curtailment of air travel, the
tourism industry will confront significant challenges, and may result
in a reduction of tourists, shift in type of tourism activities, shift
in mode of travel, and shift in destinations. However, as governments
and nations in partnership with industry take steps to secure travel and
alleviate customers' fears, tourism will rebound and will drive tremendous
job and income growth.
Canada's tourism
has been strong with Canada being the 9th most visited country, accounting
for 2.9% of all international travelers. Canada's average annual growth
in tourism receipts was 6.6%, substantially higher than the world growth
rate of 2.9%. Alberta has a small share of Canada's total international
tourism. Tourism from outside of Alberta has been fairly constant since
1996.
Intra-provincial
tourism is growing and has increased approximately 12% since 1996. The
Calgary region captures a substantial share of total tourism in Alberta,
accounting for nearly one-quarter of all total overnight stays in Alberta
in 1999. However, the Calgary region is not increasing its share of the
tourism market, and there are indications it may be slightly declining.
Total overnight stays declined in 1999 and the attendance at The Calgary
Stampede, one of Calgary's biggest attractions, declined in 2001.
In the short term,
as previously mentioned, Calgary's tourism industry is likely to be substantially
hurt by the decline in air travel and in tourism in general. In the longer
term, the region has significant assets to leverage and grow. Its brand
'Heart of the New West', builds on Western assets (Calgary Stampede, Canadian
Country Music Awards, Drumheller, Calgary Zoo), the mountains, and historical
assets such as Glenbow Museum with its First Nations artifacts and Heritage
Park. Other assets on which to build are its sports centres and its metropolitan
characteristics of a business centre, a diverse and culturally attractive
region, and science attractions such as the Calgary Science Centre, and
film production.
Some challenges facing
the tourism cluster are: insufficient capital for marketing and promotion,
limited attractions, and weak linkages between sectors of the cluster.
If the Calgary region confronts and collaboratively addresses these challenges,
the tourism cluster can expand the range of its clientle, increase the
overnight stays and average spending.
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