Extending from the prairies to the Rocky Mountains, Highway 3 travels across southern Alberta and into B.C.
It’s that corridor connecting the two provinces that’s grabbing the attention of tourism developers.
“More and more we’re seeing people move away from those large city centres and this is a great opportunity for us here,” said Erin Crane, CEO of Tourism Lethbridge.
The highway is one of three corridors chosen by Destination Canada as part of its Tourism Corridor Strategy Program, called the Sustainable Journey from Prairies to Pacific.
The other selections are an Atlantic Canada UNESCO tourism corridor and the Northern Indigenous Tourism Lodge Network through Yukon, the Northwest Territories and northern B.C.
The plan intends to strengthen tourism by developing corridors across the country, something that’s ‘thrilled’ the provincial government.
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“The significance of growing interest in the Highway 3 corridor cannot be overstated,” says a statement to Global News from minister of tourism and sport and Cardston-Siksika MLA, Joseph Schow.
“Increasing accessibility between our two provinces will encourage visitors to spend more time in our province and discover the diverse cultural heritage, recreational activities and awe-inspiring natural wonders that make Alberta a premier tourism destination.”
Infrastructure work is already underway on the corridor.
The province promised late last year to complete Highway 3 twinning from border to border within the next decade, starting with a 46-kilometre stretch between Taber, Alta., and Burdett, Alta., that is expected to begin construction this year.
“Hwy 3 is really kind of the centrepiece for everything that happens, from economic development, tourism, recreation and everything else,” said Bill Chapman, president of the Hwy 3 Twinning Development Association.
Advocates like Chapman hope the interest from Destination Canada will help leverage federal dollars for the twinning project from the National Trade Corridor Fund.
“Our executive director is planning to go to Ottawa next week to meet with federal counterparts in government and address the issues of Highway 3 and the need for twinning,” Chapman said.
Now Destination Canada’s program is moving into Phase 4, developing strategies for each corridor, a process that will involve local tourism partners.
“That just opens up more and more of that dialogue and the ability to reach more audiences about all the opportunities here,” Crane said.
That phase is expected to finish at the end of the year.
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