Air Canada lassoed up their important partners in tourism and travel trade to host a Calgary Stampede event celebrating the partnership between the city, the airline, and the advisors who bring them together.
Calgary is poised to host 8.7 million visitors this year, generating $3.1 billion in the local economy. With a goal of reaching CAD $6 billion by 2030, the city relies on its key tourism industry partners.
“We can’t bring those visitors into Calgary without the wings and heart of Air Canada. We’re so grateful for this partnership in making our city the most connected mid-sized city in North America,” noted newly appointed Tourism Calgary CEO Alisha Reynolds, speaking at Air Canada’s annual Stampede travel appreciation event.
A palpable sense of camaraderie and community was in the air Tuesday evening as Air Canada gathered its most valued partners at Delta Hotels Calgary Downtown. Approximately 150 attendees tucked into traditional cowboy fare of ribs, brisket, and beans while reconnecting with industry colleagues halfway through Stampede week.
A who's who of notable Albertans soaked up the sunshine on the Stargazer Patio, including the Honourable Joseph Schow, Minister of Tourism and Sport, the Honourable Lois Mitchell, 18th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, and Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek.
Leading tourism figures attending the event included representatives from the Calgary and Edmonton Chambers of Commerce, the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta, Tourism Calgary, Explore Edmonton, Travel Alberta, Calgary Airport Authority, United Airlines, and Lufthansa Group.
"This event is all about celebrating partnerships, expressing gratitude, and of course discussing all that we love about Calgary and Alberta," said Lisa Pierce, Vice President of Global Sales for Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations.
Pierce took the opportunity to share some of Air Canada's recent accolades, including winning Best Cabin Crew in Canada and Most Family Friendly Airline in North America at the 2024 Skytrax World Airline Awards. Star Alliance was also recently honoured as the World's Best Airline Alliance.
Air Canada Cargo was also named the 2024 Cargo Operator of the Year as part of the 50th annual ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards. This significant achievement is the first for a Canadian operator to receive.
Closer to home, Pierce acknowledged that this summer, Air Canada and United Airlines will increase their combined capacity to the U.S. from Calgary by 20%, including added frequency to Denver and San Francisco.
This winter, Air Canada is set to enhance its services, resuming year-round service to Ottawa and adding 20% more seats to Montreal. Additionally, there will be increased daily frequency to Toronto from Calgary, providing more convenient and efficient travel experiences.
Working with their Star Alliance partner Lufthansa, Air Canada is also increasing the frequency of flights between Calgary and Zurich, amongst other European centres.
Joseph Schow, Minister of Tourism and Sport, Government of Alberta, got the crowd laughing after promising to keep his remarks short, but as a 6'9" politician, he confessed that word wasn't in his vocabulary.
Minister Schow recognized Air Canada's role in developing Alberta's tourism economy and shared the province's goal of reaching $25 billion in yearly visitor expenditures by 2035.
"A central pillar of that strategy is air access," he maintained.
"We say we love our pipelines in this province, but in tourism, our pipelines have wings. These wings carry millions into Alberta from around the world, and we welcome them with open arms."
Calgary Airport Authority President & CEO Chris Dinsdale shared this vision of growing Alberta's tourism market with industry partners.
"We've gone through some hard times together, but last year, we saw 8.5 million passengers go through the Calgary Airport, and this year will be another record year. We're expecting 2 million passengers per month in July and August - which is an all-time high."
"When you run an airport, you realize how much you depend on each other. A successful airport relies on an ecosystem. If Air Canada is successful, we're all successful."
As they say in Calgary, not just during Stampede..."Yahoo."
