Vital Statistics: Foodservice & Hospitality

Industry Reports: Agri-Foods

Jul 1, 2009

In 2008, Alberta’s foodservice industry tallied $8.4 billion in receipts.
From 2000 to 2008, foodservice sales in Alberta grew to 30.5% while sales for the rest of Canada grew just 4.7%.
Last year, Alberta had 8,946 restaurants, catering services and drinking establishments.
In 2007, 116,800 Albertans worked in the accommodation and foodservice industry.
Hotel investments in Canada slowed by 77% to $1.1 billion in 2008.
About 8,900 new rooms, or 80 hotels, opened in Canada in 2008, as supply increased 2.3% compared to a 2% increase in 2007.
An estimated 74 new hotels are expected to open across Canada in 2009.
Travel and tourism accounts for nearly 10% of total employment in the United States and 7.6% of jobs worldwide.

Sources: Alberta Tourism, Parks & Recreation, Colliers International’s Canadian Hotel Investment Report, Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, Government of Alberta, World Travel & Tourism Council

Staycation
In mid-May, Alberta’s tourism industry announced it is expecting decreased numbers of visitors to the province. This would be the industry’s second major downturn following the $1 billion lost due to 2003’s West Nile virus, mad cow disease and SARS outbreaks. The United States’ credit crunch and the new passport requirements for visitors to and from the country are affecting the number of American visitors to Alberta, which saw 929,000 visiting in 2007. As Travel Alberta’s “Stay” campaign familiarizes residents with nearby locations, more Albertans are choosing to spend their downtime within the province.