Tourists expected to flock to southern Alberta this summer

The warm weather means the summer tourism season is almost here, and those in the industry are expecting it to be a busy time for southern Alberta.

LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. — The warm weather means the travel season is almost here, and those in the tourism industry are expecting it to be a busy summer in southern Alberta.

Tourist hot spots are gearing up for what they hope will be a busy summer.

“We are seeing some optimism. We’re also seeing a lot more visitors coming in. Our U.S. numbers are up from those crossing the border from the same time last year, and we’re anticipating some additional domestic travel,” said Erin Crane, the CEO of Tourism Lethbridge.

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Most tourist destinations are expecting a surge in domestic visitors. Many Canadians have cancelled American holiday plans due to the ongoing trade war.

International visitors may also be choosing Canada this summer over the United States.

“But we also know that this creates an opportunity for those travellers from farther afield. And we are seeing the interest there from, you know, our European partners, our partners out of Asia,” said Crane.

Waterton Lakes National Park has already noticed a big boost in visitors.

Last month was the busiest May the park has seen, which could show a trend toward one of the busiest summers on record for the park.

“Waterton looks to be very busy this summer. You know, we still have a good chunk of our American tourism coming. International tourism is up. And Canadian tourism is up. I think a lot of folks are staying home this year,” said Shameer Suleman, president of the Waterton Chamber of Commerce.

Tourist destinations south of the border, meanwhile, are preparing for a potential drop in Canadian visitors.

Whitefish, Montana has seen about a 20 per cent drop in Canadian tourists this year.

But a rise in domestic American travellers could help offset those losses.

“(It) remains to be seen in terms of how summertime will play out. I mean, we do have, you know, Glacier National Park, so many, you know, recreational amenities that are so close to the border,” said Brian Schott, Explore Whitefish’s media relations manager.

“So, it still remains to be seen. We hope to see our Canadian friends in Whitefish for sure.”

About 175,000 people from outside Lethbridge attended events in the city last year.