Calgary’s annual 10-day event is expected to bring numerous economic benefits beyond the grounds this year.
From hotels to restaurants to other venues, local businesses are welcoming tourists from near and far to Calgary, bringing millions of dollars with them.
“Stampede is a game changer for a lot of our partners,” said Cindy Ady, CEO of Tourism Calgary, “They make the bulk of the money they make in a given year during the Stampede.”
Times have been lean for some of those partners; the economic slowdown meant a slowdown for many businesses.
Now the optimism is back, and so are the profits.
“We’ve had 11 months of steady growth in hotel occupancy in the city, so we’re seeing the turnaround and the coming out of what was a pretty significant hole,” Ady said.
The owner of Urban Pedal Tours has seen that first-hand.
The Alberta-based business takes Calgarians and visitors on bike tours of local craft breweries.
The 2018 Stampede will be its launch in Calgary.
“We’re pretty busy. We’re booked up pretty much solid,” owner Matt Gosse said.
The best part, he says, is getting his company’s name out there – during the event and hopefully beyond.
“The exposure to be out on the streets at that time — it’s really going to be great for us,” Gosse said.
The Calgary Stampede estimates it contributes approximately $400 million in tourism dollars to the local economy over the event.
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