451. How Travel Alberta's Wild Side is Bringing International Visitors to Canada, with Tannis Gaffney

On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Tannis Gaffney, Chief Marketing Officer of Travel Alberta. Tannis walks us through the strategy behind Canada’s wild side branding and the secret behind making their brand permeate everything they do. She shares more about Travel Alberta’s collaboration with Indigenous Tourism Alberta and how that relationship has evolved, opening up new immersive cultural experiences for the right types of travelers.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

• Why Alberta chose to reposition its brand around “Canada’s Wild Side” and how leaning into national identity helps the province stand out
• How research on traveler sentiment influenced their messaging
• How Travel Alberta encourages creativity and agility, allowing the team to rapidly jump on relevant trends and opportunities
• How their partnerships are creating authentic, immersive cultural experiences for visitors
• What strategies Alberta is using to attract American travelers, especially in the winter season
• How Travel Alberta operates as part of a collaborative “wolf pack” ecosystem, working closely with DMOs, operators, and national partners to drive tourism growth across the province

Reimagining Alberta and Showing Off Canada’s Wild Side

Tannis and her team faced a dilemma familiar to many regional DMOs: international travelers often know Canada’s big cities, but not its provinces. Travel Alberta strategically shifted their messaging and instead of leaning exclusively on provincial identity, they now lead with the power of the Canada brand and then highlight Alberta as its most adventurous, untamed offering.

By anchoring Alberta’s appeal in both its jaw-dropping natural diversity (like six UNESCO World Heritage sites) and the undeniable warmth of its people, the new branding sidesteps “provincial” confusion, offering travelers an invitation to experience “Canada’s Alberta”, a place where wild landscapes meet welcoming hospitality.

Creative Agility

Tannis credits much of Alberta’s marketing agility to her strategic council. This monthly internal brainstorm is an incubator for spontaneous, opportunistic marketing ideas—ways to seize trends or conversations in innovative, resourceful ways.

Take “The Last of Us” TV series, filmed in Alberta. The team quickly released itineraries mapping out the show’s filming locations. The response was phenomenal: a thousand percent spike in website traffic as fans sought to experience these sites in real life.

Another standout was the “Alberta’s Least Liked” campaign, humorously spotlighting untouched, under-visited gems with a tongue-in-cheek video set to sad music and a sobbing moose. The effort won a creative innovation award at the Skift Global Forum and effectively helped spread tourism beyond hotspots, encouraging discovery without overburdening popular destinations.

Partnerships and Indigenous Tourism

A cornerstone of Alberta’s approach is genuine partnership across organizations, sectors, and communities. Travel Alberta’s collaboration with Indigenous Tourism Alberta (ITA) stands out as a model. Not only do Travel Alberta and ITA share office space, but their relationship is built on time, trust, and mutual respect. ITA leads in experience development with their members; Travel Alberta amplifies their stories and ensures the right, respectful traveler connects with authentic Indigenous experiences, like the acclaimed Métis Crossing, a boutique hotel and cultural hub on the North Saskatchewan River. This partnership reflects Indigenous values of sustainability, relationship-building, and stewardship, offering a far richer, more transformative experience for visitors.

Resources:

• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tannis-gaffney-076689/
• Website: https://www.travelalberta.com/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/travelalberta/
• To Be An Albertan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zzN-fV5HJM

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