Travel Alberta Wins Tourism Marketing Campaign of the Year

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CALGARY, Nov. 21, 2012 /CNW/ - Travel Alberta was presented with a Canadian Tourism Award for Marketing Campaign of the Year Award during the Tourism Industry Association of Canada's (TIAC) annual Tourism Summit on November 20, 2012 in Gatineau, Québec.

Travel Alberta partnered with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines on a Winter Sport in Alberta campaign in The Netherlands to encourage visitation to Alberta for the 2011 winter season.  The campaign included a mix of online, radio, print and social media placements and an innovative campaign website developed in partnership with Eigen Fabrikaat, KLM's marketing agency based out of The Netherlands. The campaign exceeded all targets and boosted KLM's load factor which resulted in increased service to Alberta for both summer and winter in 2012.

"Travel Alberta's partnership with KLM is a perfect example of how a destination and an airline can work together to grow tourism," said Bruce Okabe, Travel Alberta Chief Executive Officer. "We continue to see growth in The Netherlands and neighbouring European countries. From a long-haul leisure perspective, this partnership offers additional capacity and connections to Alberta from multiple destinations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East."

"We at KLM are very proud on this Award honouring Travel Alberta for the Travel Alberta/KLM Winter Sport campaign," said Roderik Rodermond, Vice President Commercial Americas for Air France KLM.  "It reflects the daring, innovative and effective way Travel Alberta continuously seeks to increase tourism to Alberta. While celebrating today, we are looking forward to continuing our successful partnership in further developing Alberta tourism."

The Canadian Tourism Awards are presented by TIAC annually to recognize success, leadership and innovation in Canada's tourism industry, and to reward those people, places, organizations and events that have gone above and beyond to offer travellers superior tourism experiences in Canada.

Alberta tourism operators were also recognized in multiple categories with six entries shortlisted as finalists for the Canadian Tourism Awards.   Of those finalists, Calgary Stampede, Royal Canadian Pacific, and CMH Summer Adventures were winners.

• The Air Canada Business of the Year Award: Canalta Hotels, Alberta and Saskatchewan (finalist)
• The Metro Toronto Convention Centre Event of the Year Award: Calgary Stampede, Calgary, Alberta (winner)
• The WestJet Social Media Initiative of the Year Award: Rocky Mountaineer, Alberta and British Columbia (finalist)
• The National Cultural Tourism Award: Royal Canadian Pacific, Calgary, Alberta (winner);
• The Delta Hotels & Resorts Traveller Experience Award: Heritage Park Historical Village, Calgary, Alberta (finalist)
• The Delta Hotels & Resorts Traveller Experience Award: CMH Summer Adventures, Banff, Alberta (winner)

"Awards like these recognize the creativity, passion and excellence found across Alberta's tourism industry, and I congratulate all of the Alberta operators who were shortlisted," said the Honourable Christine Cusanelli, Minister of Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation.  "Collaboration is key to our success. I look forward to seeing more innovative partnerships and campaigns like Winter Sport in Alberta attracting visitors from around the globe."

Since becoming a Crown corporation on April 1, 2009, Travel Alberta has earned more than 16 awards related to excellence in tourism marketing, including the Diamond Award as best entry in the annual international film and media competition at the International Tourism Fair (ITB) in Berlin. Most recently, Travel Alberta secured a gold honor in Travel Weekly's Magellan Awards as well as three Anvil Awards from the Ad Rodeo Society in Calgary.

*NOTE TO EDITORS: Images are available upon request. 

About Alberta
Alberta, located in western Canada, is as vast as it is varied in landscapes and adventures.  Alberta is an exceptional vacation destination that promises authentic experiences in breathtaking landscapes.

About Travel Alberta
Travel Alberta is the tourism marketing organization for the province of Alberta. A team of youthfully spirited adventurers, we lead the Canadian tourism industry in marketing Alberta's extraordinary experiences around the world.

www.facebook.com/TravelAlbertaCanada
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www.youtube.com/TravelAlbertaCanada

About KLM
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was founded in 1919, making it the world's oldest airline still operating under its original name. In 2004, Air France and KLM merged to form AIR FRANCE KLM. The merger produced the strongest European airline group based on two powerful brands and hubs - Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle. Retaining its own identity, the group focuses on three core businesses: passenger transport, cargo and aircraft maintenance.

SOURCE: Travel Alberta