Travel Alberta targets California and Texas in latest ad campaign

A new Travel Alberta ad campaign is focusing on two major American states in an effort to boost the province's sputtering tourism revenue. 

Radio and television ads recently launched in both Texas and California tout Alberta's vibrant big cities and mountain towns.

One radio spot calls the province a great place to learn how to ski. 

"Always look up, not down," it says. "That is up, to Alberta, Canada. Where your unsightly tumbles are a thousand miles out of sight, surrounded by skiers you'll never see again and the breathtaking beauty of the Canadian Rockies."

"The human species has existed on wanderlust for tens of thousands of years, so that's not going to stop," Travel Alberta CEO David Goldstein told CTV News. "When it's time to (travel again), there is going to be a huge competition with other destinations. They're all looking at this pent-up demand and they all see the same traveler base. We want to be part of the mix."

Goldstein says Californians and Texans have been known to visit in the past, and a number of direct flights to Alberta make their planning a little simpler. 

"We have to start building intent for Americans in consideration of our destination versus other destinations to go to," Calgary Hotel Association executive director Sol Zia said. "(They) spend between 20 and 30 per cent more per day than domestic travellers."

But there's still the issue of a U.S. travel advisory warning of a surge in COVID-19 cases in Canada. 

Goldstein says the campaign is less focused on the now -- rather, he'd like to see Americans consider Canada in the spring and summer months. 

"I think that's largely a misunderstanding of the buying cycle of travel and how long it is," he said. "It's not like a Frito-Lay commercial, and you're going to go to the supermarket now and buy Cheetos. It's about that long term."

The campaign will also include billboards and social media advertisements.