Legislation seeks transparency for Alberta tourism prices

The Alberta government plans to change the consumer protection act to force accommodation businesses to disclose all fees at the time of booking.

Making clear what charges are for is at the heart of new legislation the Alberta government introduced Wednesday to deter tourism businesses from imposing hidden or misleading fees.

Andrew Boitchenko, the minister of tourism and sport, presented the Traveller Protection and Destination Development Act on Wednesday. The legislation aims to close loopholes in misleading fees and ensure destination marketing fees are used as intended.

Destination marketing fees are used by several businesses to support local tourism initiatives and development.

“This legislation makes sure people who are paying these fees know where their dollars are going, creating the transparency and accountability that both businesses and their customers need,” Boitchenko said in a media release Wednesday morning.

Amendments to the Consumer Protection Act will require businesses to disclose all fees and the full price to customers at the time of booking, and if requested, provide an explanation for each mandatory fee and how the charges will be used.

The legislation applies to tourism businesses that charge a destination marketing fee on accommodation or on a tourism experience.