Industry.

WELCOMING THE WORLD TO CALGARY

In the summer of 2019 the industry sold more hotel rooms than ever in the history of Calgary. We’re setting new standards for tourism marketing. Together with our partners in 2019, we secured nearly 3.4 million room nights accommodating the majority of Calgary’s tourists. We’ve supported 67 sport, culture and major events, and secured 63 future conferences (including four city-wide conventions). 2019 was energetic as we hosted the CFL Grey Cup and the Canadian Country Music Awards among other meetings, conventions and events. As partners in elevating Calgary’s hospitality and travel industry on the world stage, we are looking forward to a bright future. 

Calgary's Hub.

COLLABORATIVE ECONOMICS

Hotels are the hub of Calgary’s tourism and hospitality network and tourism is the lifeline of the hotel industry. Tourism attraction happens through a collaborative of city organizations. Our partners include Tourism Calgary, Meetings and Conventions Calgary, Calgary Economic Development, Calgary Arts Development, Travel Alberta, Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association, Calgary Attractions, Calgary Sport & Major Events, WinSport, Calgary Stampede, and Calgary TELUS Convention Centre.

The Calgary hotel sector is dynamic and growing, with nearly $600 million in new hotel development in the last five years. Even though business travel has reduced during Calgary’s ongoing economic downturn and many hotels were operating on average at 60 percent capacity in 2019, Calgary’s continual growth and diligence is projecting a positive future. Attracting leisure travelers to Calgary is increasingly more important to the hotel industry, and the CHA is continuously working with partners to find new ways to attract these travelers to our city. 

Advocacy & Industry Issues

Destination Marketing

Marketing Calgary as an international tourist destination takes a collaborative effort – and significant dollars. Since 2005, the Calgary Hotel Association has invested $90 million through its partnerships in marketing Calgary to the world. These funds have been generated by members who participate in the Calgary Hotel Association’s Destination Marketing Fund (DMF). Participating DMF hotels voluntarily contribute 3% of their gross revenue to the fund to support destination marketing initiatives. Similar to airport improvement fees, DMFs are common in tourism-oriented cities in Canada and the United States. The fee is not legislated by government.

Currently 58 hotel properties, making up 70% of the total hotel rooms in Calgary, participate in the DMF program. The majority of DMF funding goes to Tourism Calgary and Meetings and Conventions Calgary. Remaining dollars are allocated to local organizations and initiatives that support destination marketing and visitor attraction. The 2019 DMF funding allocation is shown below.

Home-sharing services

We believe in consumer choice. We all have a role to play in providing the public with accommodation options. We also believe that it’s important to apply a level playing field to all competing industries. Home-sharing services should be expected to have a business license, pay taxes, and adhere to common rules of regulation. Through a level playing field, we can compete for consumers in a way that’s fair. We’re also willing to share our best-practices know-how to home-sharing individuals to help them provide higher quality customer service. By working together, we can create an even stronger tourism ecosystem and live up to our collective identity as the Ultimate Host City.