What Tourism Calgary does

Tourism Calgary is a non-profit destination marketing organization (DMO) founded in 1957 that serves as the official tourism promotion body for Calgary, Alberta. It serves three primary customer segments: leisure travelers planning vacations and event attendance, business travelers and meeting planners arranging corporate events and conventions, and sports/major event organizers hosting tournaments and competitions in the city. The organization promotes Calgary's positioning as the 'Blue Sky City' with 333 days of sunshine, Rocky Mountain access via 90-minute proximity to Banff National Park, and a portfolio of anchor events led by the Calgary Stampede.

Tourism Calgary's core platform is anchored by visitcalgary.com, a destination portal aggregating attractions, events, itineraries, and neighborhood guides, supplemented by a free mobile app-based Calgary Attractions Pass (launched 2026) offering discounts at Calgary Tower, Heritage Park, Calgary Zoo, and other attractions. Supporting infrastructure includes a CRM-backed visitor communications system, live chat (9am-5pm MST, 7 days/week), email/phone/text/Facebook Messenger support, physical visitor information booths, the monthly Calgary Curated newsletter, and the White Hat Volunteer greeter program at YYC Calgary International Airport. The product portfolio explicitly excludes public APIs, third-party integrations, and AI-powered features. A notable 2026 partnership product is the Calgary Stopover Program with WestJet, designed to convert airline connecting passengers into overnight visitors through 19 hotel offers and Attractions Pass access.

As a non-profit DMO, Tourism Calgary generates no revenue from visitors, who access all core services free of charge. Its operating funding derives from three streams: membership fees from 300+ tourism businesses, municipal and provincial government funding (City of Calgary and Travel Alberta), and partnership revenues from airline partners (WestJet, Air Canada) and the Calgary Hotel Association. The organization has publicly committed to a strategic goal of growing Calgary visitor spending from $3.3 billion in 2025 to $6 billion by 2035. Q1 2026 visitor spending grew 7% year-over-year with international visitor spending up nearly 16%, and the city is hosting approximately 75 major events between June and September 2026 plus the Grey Cup in November, including 27 major sporting events in summer 2026.

Name

Tourism Calgary

Legal name

Tourism Calgary - Calgary Convention & Visitor's Bureau

Website

https://visitcalgary.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Tourism Calgary is a non-profit destination marketing organization founded in 1957 that promotes Calgary, Alberta as a leisure and business tourism destination. It serves leisure travelers, business travelers/meeting planners, and event organizers via visitcalgary.com, a mobile Attractions Pass, and partnerships with airlines, hotels, and government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Tourism Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Destination Management (Ground Handling & Onsite Operations) (THAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Experiential & Cultural Programming (Tours, Activities, CSR/Voluntourism) (THAHADAF)

Keywords

• Destination marketing services
• Visitor information services
• Tourism promotion
• Attraction discount passes
• Travel planning resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tourism Marketing Services: As a destination marketing organization (DMO), Tourism Calgary operates as a non-profit organization funded through membership fees from tourism businesses, municipal and provincial government funding, and partnership revenues from airline partners, hotel associations, and tourism operators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tourism Calgary is the official non-profit destination marketing organization (DMO) for Calgary, Alberta. It promotes Calgary as a leisure, business, and major-events tourism destination through its visitcalgary.com visitor portal, the free mobile-app-based Calgary Attractions Pass offering discounts at Calgary Tower, Heritage Park, Calgary Zoo and other attractions, and the WestJet-partnered Calgary Stopover Program that converts airport connecting passengers into overnight visitors. The organization delivers trip planning resources, attraction discounts, event promotion, in-person visitor assistance, and travel media relations in service of growing Calgary's visitor economy.

Product overview

Tourism Calgary operates the official Calgary destination marketing platform, anchored by the VisitCalgary.com visitor portal, which serves leisure travellers, business visitors, and meeting planners with event listings, neighbourhood guides, and trip planning tools. The portfolio includes two key visitor-value products: the free mobile app-based Calgary Attractions Pass (offering discounts at Calgary Tower, Heritage Park, Calgary Zoo, and other major attractions) and the Calgary Stopover Program (a WestJet-partnered initiative converting airport layover passengers into overnight stays with 19 hotel offers). Supporting offerings span the monthly Calgary Curated newsletter, in-person and digital Visitor Information Hub support, downloadable Maps & Visitor Guides, the Know Before You Go knowledge base, and the White Hat Volunteer greeter program at YYC airport. The platform does not include a public API, integrations with third-party software platforms, or AI-powered features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VisitCalgary.com Tourism Calgary's official destination marketing and visitor information portal, serving as the primary digital platform for leisure travellers, business visitors, and meeting planners. The site aggregates attractions, events, itineraries, neighbourhood guides, transportation options, deals, passes, and trip planning resources.
• Calgary Attractions Pass A free mobile app-based pass offering exclusive discounts and deals at major Calgary attractions including Calgary Tower, Heritage Park, and Calgary Zoo. Visitors check in at participating locations to access special offers, exclusive prizing, and chances to win a weekend getaway in Calgary.
• Calgary Stopover Program A pilot initiative by Tourism Calgary in partnership with WestJet, designed to convert connecting passengers at YYC Calgary International Airport into overnight visitors through 19 exclusive hotel offers and access to the Calgary Attractions Pass. Targets UK travellers via WestJet's London Heathrow and Edinburgh routes, allowing stopovers of up to seven days at no additional airfare cost.
• Calgary Curated Newsletter Tourism Calgary's monthly leisure travel newsletter delivering curated trip planning content, exclusive deals, event highlights, and travel inspiration directly to subscribers' email inboxes.
• Visitor Information Hub In-person and digital visitor support service staffed by Tourism Calgary local experts, providing personalized recommendations, free maps, and local tips at the Visitor Information Booth inside Calgary's Central Library, supplemented by live chat, email, text, and phone support.
• Maps & Visitor Guide Trip planning resources including a downloadable city map PDF, a digital visitor guide flipbook, and curated itineraries such as '100+ Things to Do in and Around Calgary' and seasonal guides.
• Media Assistance Request Service A service for travel media professionals to request Tourism Calgary communications support, interviews with spokespeople such as Valerie Ball (Senior Manager, Communications), and press trip coordination.
• White Hat Volunteer Program Tourism Calgary's volunteer program where trained White Hat volunteers greet arriving guests at YYC Calgary International Airport, providing a welcoming introduction to the city and assisting travellers with directions and recommendations.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WestJetcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 June 2026Tourism Calgary and WestJet launched the Calgary Stopover Program, a pilot initiative designed to convert connecting passengers at YYC Calgary International Airport into overnight visitors through 19 exclusive hotel offers and access to the Calgary Attractions Pass. The program initially targets UK travellers via WestJet's London Heathrow and Edinburgh routes, allowing stopovers of up to seven days at no additional cost.
• WestJetcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWestJet is a Calgary-based airline partner with flights between Calgary and 100 destinations worldwide. Strategic partner for promoting Calgary as a destination and driving visitor traffic through the Calgary Stopover Program and airline partnerships.
• Air CanadacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAir Canada is Canada's national airline and flies directly to Calgary from more than 35 destinations. Airline partner providing connectivity to position Calgary as a destination.
• Calgary Hotel AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey strategic partner representing Calgary hotels, collaborating on visitor services, accommodation promotions, and tourism marketing initiatives.
• City of CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner providing funding, alignment with city tourism strategy, and support for major events and destination marketing efforts.
• Travel AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial tourism marketing organization partner for provincial tourism campaigns, Alberta destination marketing, and regional tourism coordination.
• Cowboys Music FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism Calgary expressed opposition to proposed noise restriction rules for Stampede tents that would require weeknight concerts to end at midnight, working with Cowboys Music Festival to address concerns about impact on tourism and major events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tourismcalgary
• Xx.com/TourismCalgary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tourism Calgary