Work. Wonders.

• This position can be based in Calgary, Edmonton or Red Deer. Other central Alberta locations may be considered.

Get inspired - Face Your Wild in Alberta come and be a part of this amazing organization.

At Travel Alberta, we are redefining what it means to be a tourism and economic development leader in Canada. As the provincial destination management organization, we’ve embraced an ambitious goal: doubling Alberta’s tourism sector to $25 billion in annual visitor spending by 2035. This bold vision reflects our commitment to transforming Alberta into a premier destination for both visitors and investors, driving sustainable economic growth while creating unforgettable itineraries and experiences that showcase our breathtaking landscapes, vibrant cities, and rich cultural heritage.

Position Summary
At Travel Alberta, we are working toward an ambitious goal: doubling Alberta’s visitor economy to $25B by 2035. This role sits at the centre of that ambition, not from a promotional lens, but from destination, business-building and commercial development lenses.

This role is for someone who has either spent their career asking themselves or consulting to others and asking the hard question: “Is this actually viable, and if so, what do we need to do to make it work?” The Manager, Destination & Commercial Development advances the growth of real tourism business and investment opportunities across assigned regions in Alberta. Working directly with entrepreneurs, operators, municipalities, and regional partners, this role helps shape early tourism concepts and destination plans into viable, investable, executable projects.

You are often the first point of contact at Travel Alberta for regional development opportunities, so this is a trusted advisor role grounded in practical business experience, not program administration or marketing.

The work is all about unlocking regional tourism potential in Alberta to achieve our aggressive goal of doubling the size of our visitor economy by improving:

• Commercial viability
• Investment appeal
• Destination readiness
• Execution quality & delivery

A key part of success is knowing when to lean in and shape a business and when to challenge assumptions that don’t hold up.

Key Responsibilities
1. Commercial & Economic Development:

• You identify, shape, and advance tourism opportunities from early concept to execution readiness, while working with communities to strengthen the conditions for sustainable tourism growth.
• You are not inheriting polished proposals you are working with early-stage operators and helping turn them into thriving businesses, often in partnership with local stakeholders and communities.
• You:
  • Refine business models, revenue strategies, and operating approaches with proponents.
  • Work alongside communities and partners to align tourism development with local economic priorities and opportunities.
  • Manage a pipeline of tourism investment and development opportunities from concept to execution readiness.
  • Assess viability using financial, market, and operational judgment.
  • Provide clear recommendations on risk, feasibility, and next steps.
• You don’t just review plans, you ask whether they survive contact with reality, and whether they contribute meaningfully to the communities they operate in.

2. Financial Analysis & Commercial Evaluation:

• You assess real-world business viability through financial and operational lenses.
• You:
  • Review business plans, financial statements, and pro formas.
  • Assess cash flow, capital needs, and sensitivity to assumptions.
  • Strengthen proposals through practical challenge and refinement.
  • Support internal investment decisions with grounded commercial insight.

3. Destination & Itinerary Development:

• You support regional destination development aligned with Tourism Development Zones.
• You start with a simple question: “What’s missing for this place to actually work as a destination that can drive multi-day trips to the region?”
• You:
  • Find opportunities to fill gaps in accommodation, experiences, and infrastructure.
  • Work with municipalities and partners to align priorities.
  • Collaborate with internal Travel Alberta teams to progress businesses on a path to maturity from market ready to export ready.
  • Support proponents through land, regulatory, and planning processes.
  • Ground development in market demand and feasibility.

4. Industry Consultation & Investment Support:

• You act as a first-call advisor for operators, communities, and partners, working in coordination with Investor Services to support investment attraction and readiness.
• You are often the person operators call before they apply for anything.
• You:
  • Provide practical guidance to improve investment readiness.
  • Work closely with Investor Services to align proponents with the right supports, resources, and investment pathways.
  • Evaluate applications using a commercial lens.
  • Share actionable insights and best practices.
  • Represent Travel Alberta with credibility grounded in experience.

5. Project Leadership & Execution:

• You stay engaged beyond approval to ensure outcomes are delivered.
• This role rewards people who don’t disappear after approval because that’s when the real work starts.
• You:
  • Drive initiatives from concept through execution.
  • Remove barriers to feasibility and delivery.
  • Coordinate partners and consultants to maintain alignment.
  • Focus relentlessly on outcomes, not activity.

6. Private-Sector & Stakeholder Engagement:

• You engage as a credible commercial counterpart.
• You are not representing a program and simply providing advice, you are sitting on the same side of the table as your partner and is someone who understands how deals get done.
• You:
  • Build relationships with operators, investors, and municipalities.
  • Balance competing interests while advancing viable projects.
  • Provide practical, deal-oriented guidance.
  • Focus on execution and progression, not promotion.

Required Qualifications
1. Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or certificate in Business Management, Economic Development, Tourism Management or a related field or an equivalent contribution of education and experience.
• 3+ years in business development, economic development, lending, advisory, or SME support.
• Direct experience working with or as an entrepreneur or small business from concept through growth.
• Exposure to investment decisions, risk, and real-world business constraints.
• You’ve likely helped or led business survival, stabilization, or growth.

2. Technical Skills:

• You:
  • Understand financial statements, cash flow, and business cases
  • Can quickly separate theory from operational reality.
  • Assess investment readiness and commercial viability.
  • Communicate complex ideas clearly and practically.
• You can look at a model and immediately tell what holds up and what doesn’t.

3. Stakeholder & Communication Skills:

• You can walk into a room with operators, municipalities, or funders and quickly become the most grounded voice in it.
• You:
  • Build trust quickly across diverse stakeholders.
  • Deliver candid, constructive feedback without losing relationships.
  • Work effectively with business owners, municipalities, and partners.

4. Critical Thinking & Judgment:

• You’re comfortable when there is no perfect answer only better or worse paths forward.
• You:
  • Operate well in ambiguity and incomplete information.
  • Identify what is viable, what needs adjustment, and what should stop.
  • Apply practical, execution-focused judgment.

5. Bottom Line:

• This role is for someone who has built their career working in or alongside businesses not observing them from a distance.
• If you are motivated by:
  • Turning ideas into viable businesses.
  • Helping entrepreneurs succeed.
  • Strengthening regional economies through real outcomes.

…this is an opportunity to do that work at scale across Alberta.

*We kindly thank all agency partners, we will NOT require support to fill this role. We kindly request no phone calls nor emails*

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