Alberta Parks saw a quarter million camping reservations in 2023

In 2023, there were 254,000 camping reservations made across the province's parks, translating to an added $1 billion in GDP for the province.

The province also saw visitors from 36 countries, including many from the United States, as well as $400 million in labour income, including 9,000 jobs to the provincial economy.

The province has attributed a large portion of that success to the 450 seasonal staff hired by Forestry and Parks to support visitor safety and unique outdoor experiences.

Todd Loewen, Minister of Forestry and Parks said that he is proud of the success of the province's parks.

"Parks are for people, and people are using our parks. With a provincial park or recreation area within an hour of virtually every community in the province, our parks system is accessible to every Albertan and attracts visitors from around the world."

The province underlined that over the next three years, they are investing $211.3 million to improve and expand recreation and access to parks and across public lands.

"As a result of this investment, Albertans also enjoyed several recently completed capital projects around the province. These include new boat launch sites, upgraded trails and signage in Dinosaur Provincial Park, backcountry campground refurbishments in Kananaskis Country, the reopening of the Grassi Lakes day-use area and the reopening of the Winagami Lake Provincial Park wading pool."

Alberta is home to more than 470 provincial parks and recreation areas. The parks system currently includes 250 campgrounds with almost 14,000 campsites, with Alberta Parks being responsible for more than $2.5 billion in infrastructure and facilities, ranging from campground facilities to more than 300 buildings, two ski resorts and a world-class golf course.

More than 110,000 Albertans and visitors took part in more than 1,600 park programs, including amphitheatre shows, guided excursions, special events and drop-in programs.

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com. You can also message and follow us on Twitter: @AIR1061FM

In response to Canada's Online News Act and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) removing access to local news from their platforms, DiscoverAirdrie encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the DiscoverAirdrie app. You can scan the QR code to download it.