EDMONTON - Travel Alberta will launch an aggressive, multi-media campaign on Monday, June 2 to encourage Albertans - as well as residents of Saskatchewan and eastern British Columbia - to vacation in the province this summer. Television, radio and newspaper advertising will use the theme "Made to Order" to promote the message that Albertans can create custom vacation experiences throughout the province that best suit their interests.

Budget for the campaign is $1.6 million, an increase of 60 per cent from last year's marketing program. A portion of this increased funding is being used to extend the campaign's reach and duration. In addition to encompassing two neighbouring provinces, the campaign will now end in September rather than August.

Plans are also under way to further augment this campaign with additional components into the Pacific Northwestern United States, details of which will be announced in the coming weeks.

"Albertans and our neighbours have always been Alberta's biggest tourism clients," said Mark Norris, Minister of Economic Development. "Many serious global and national issues are impacting travel this summer and changing people's travel patterns. That's why we are counting on this augmented campaign to persuade Albertans and our neighbours that this is absolutely the best time to vacation in safe, friendly Alberta."

Central to the campaign is a 76-page Travel Alberta Summer Vacation Guide that will be distributed to more than 800,000 households in Alberta and Saskatchewan beginning June 8. Other elements of the program, which will run until mid-September, include weekly newspaper features, radio promotions and contests, information cruisers at special events throughout the province and special vacation packages on TravelAlberta.com.

For information and ideas on things to see and do in Alberta this summer, visit Travel Alberta.com or call toll free 1-800-ALBERTA (252-3782).

Tourism in Alberta is a $5 billion industry employing 120,000 people in all regions of the province.

For further information:

Mark Norris
Minister
Alberta Economic Development
(780) 427-3162

Mark Erdman
Director, Communications
Alberta Economic Development
(780) 427-0528
cell: (780) 910-6230
Mark.Erdman@gov.ab.ca

Don Boynton
Director, Communications
Travel Alberta
(403) 297-8753
cell: (403) 606-8156
Don.Boynton@travelalberta.com