Tourism in Alberta

Alberta has been a tourist destination since the early days of the 20th Century, with attractions including national parks, National Historic Sites of Canada, urban arts and cultural facilities, outdoor locales for skiing, hiking and camping, shopping locales such as West Edmonton Mall, outdoor festivals, professional athletic events, international sporting competitions such as the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Winter Games, as well as more eclectic attractions.

Calgary and Edmonton, and larger regions Canadian Rockies (Banff National Park and Jasper National Park) are the most popular destinations for visitors. West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton is the most visited attraction in the province. Around million visitors each year attend Calgary's Stampede, a celebration of Canada's own Wild West and the cattle ranching industry. Edmonton, known as Canada's Festival City, boasts a summer calendar of non-stop festivals, included the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival and the Edmonton Folk Music Festival.

Alberta tourism is split into four large regions by the government. As of 2014; Alberta North which saw 1.81 million visits, Alberta Central in saw 8.45 million and Alberta South with 4.29 million and the Canadian Rockies with 4.35 million. As well, Calgary & Area and Edmonton & Areas encompass the two largest cities, Edmonton and Calgary and areas around them. As of 2014; Calgary & Area saw 8.27 million visits, while Edmonton & Area had 8.43 million.

The Canadian Rockies in Alberta's south-west are a major attraction for climbing and hiking, with an extensive park system and mountain peaks reaching over 3000 m. The Kananaskis Country park system has numerous trails for hiking and horseback riding, and rafting is done on some of the rivers.

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