Tourism Experience Development in Alberta During the Coronavirus Pandemic

• Author / Creator

  Kos, Krasna

• In an increasingly competitive global marketplace, the need for destinations to create compelling and memorable experiences to differentiate themselves and power economic growth has become an important destination development strategy following significant tourism industry disruption resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic. The purpose of this study was to explore key concepts in tourism experience development and gather knowledge on how tourism experiences, markets, and consumer behaviour have changed in Alberta, Canada because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using exploratory qualitative methodology, this study involved semi-structured interviews with 15 tourism operators in Alberta to explore the evolution of tourism experiences as the province emerges from the pandemic.
  The interview results found operators shifted their focus to domestic visitor markets during the pandemic, but following the pandemic international visitation is still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels and corporate markets have been slow to return. Tourism operators reported both pent-up demand for experiences as well as audiences who are still hesitant to travel and gather. Consumer buying habits have become more non-committal, trending towards last-minute purchasing and flexible buying options. Further to this, the tourism experience adaptations that occurred during the pandemic resulted from COVID-19 safety measures such as masking, hand sanitization, reducing capacities, and distancing guests. Technology accelerated as a driver of innovation and brought about improvements in visitor experiences, allowed businesses to reach more diverse and international audiences, and improved accessibility for some audiences. However, effective use of technology was challenging for some and there is a strong desire by tourism operators to go back to the way things were done pre-pandemic.
  This was an important study not only to understand the experiences of tourism operators in Alberta but to bring forth timely considerations for the future of Alberta’s tourism industry such as meeting consumers’ diverse needs, bringing back skilled labour, building adaptive business strategies, and ensuring personalization is backed by data. The question overwhelmingly on tourism operators’ minds is “what do people want from their experiences now?” As we enter an era of regrowth for Alberta’s tourism industry, the time is ripe for the creation of impactful and engaging experiences that strengthen Alberta’s tourism economy and inspire the world to visit Alberta. The question we must ask ourselves is how do we best support the industry in developing memorable Canadian experiences?

• Subjects / Keywords

  • experience development
  • adaptation
  • experience economy
  • Alberta
  • tourism
  • Coronavirus pandemic

• Graduation date

  Fall 2022

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Arts

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-e3nz-eq65

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Library with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.