Latest news with #TourismCalgary
Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Calgary begins welcoming first of thousands of Rotary International Convention delegates
Andre and Walter Marria can't resist a good Rotary International Convention. Article content They arrived in Calgary Thursday as some of the earlier arrivals of the 15,500 out-of-town delegates who will attend the June 21-25 event. Article content Article content 'Last year we were in Singapore and next year we'll be in Taiwan,' said a beaming Walter Marria, 78, who hails from Thomasville, Ga. Article content 'I'm expecting to be inspired to meet new people and make new connections.' Article content Article content Pushing a cart crammed nigh with luggage at the Calgary International Airport, his wife said there was little reason to skip Calgary. Article content Article content 'We heard about this and the Stampede,' she said. Article content Delegates from more than 120 countries began arriving last week for the gathering to be held at the BMO Centre on Stampede Park. Article content The massive convention is expected to pump $81 million into the city's economy and follows closely on the heels of another international event that put the Calgary area in the global spotlight — the 2025 G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, which wrapped up Tuesday. Article content It's been a record late spring-early summer season for Calgary's hospitality industry, said Alisha Reynolds, president of Tourism Calgary. Article content 'This is an opportunity to put Calgary on the world map and put Calgary on the world stage . . . this is an opportunity to share with the world that Calgary has its arms open,' she said. Article content Article content May was already a record-setting month for hotel occupancy in Calgary, up 7.7 per cent over the same month in 2024 due to the early impacts of G7 and the Rotary convention, said Reynolds. Article content She noted the last time Calgary hosted the convention was in 1996 and drew 25,000 people, which set a high bar in delegate satisfaction. Article content 'Pressure makes diamonds, we're ready,' said Reynolds, adding the city began lobbying to hold the event a decade ago. Article content Article content It's expected to be rainy and cool through Sunday, with the sun returning amid below-average temperatures on Monday, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Calgary Herald
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Brookman: Put your best foot forward Calgary, as we welcome the world
Article content The old saying goes that 'nobody does it better.' Starting today, lucky Friday the 13th, we need all Calgarians to prove that's true of us. Article content Next week, having just welcomed the G7 and the Global Energy Show, the Rotarians will arrive — more than 15,000 of them from every corner of the world. This is the second time the Rotary International Convention has been held in Calgary, and there are still attendees from 1996 who say, 'Calgary was the best Rotary convention ever.' Article content Article content Let's prove that just like love, it can be better the second time around. Article content Article content Locals have been working for years now to make this a great show. The new BMO Centre will be hosting its biggest convention since it opened, and every hotel, taxi, restaurant and rental car company has been warned, trained, encouraged, etc., to put on the best face we can for this massive convention. Article content As a proud Rotarian, there has to be major congratulations to many groups, including Tourism Calgary, the Calgary Stampede, the Calgary Hotel Association, the Downtown Business Association and, of course, the folks behind the Saddledome and the BMO Centre. Local Rotarians will be out in full force to welcome everyone, but thousands of hours have already been spent putting a shine on our city. Article content The loss of the downtown Bay could not have come at a worse time, and we all know that Stephen Avenue Walk needs more than a bit of lipstick, but if paint, flowers, extra police and dozens of local Calgarians can put a shine on the street, then we are going to do exactly that. Article content Article content This will be a diverse convention, and we can expect visitors from more than 120 countries to be in Calgary, starting on June 21. This means a lot of confused travellers, a lot of uncertain drivers and lots of questions. We are calling on all Calgarians to open your hearts and minds to all of the people who are going to see the city, many for the very first time. Article content Article content The Rotary International Convention is often described as a mini-United Nations, and Stampede Park will become the centre of an incredible mosaic of people, cultural experiences and a showcase for more than 100 Rotary Humanitarian projects happening around the world. Article content What can you do to make this an amazing experience? Bring your patience and your biggest smiles wherever you are in the city. Put on your best look, and if you have a business that could use a bit of weeding or trimming or just a cleanup, this is the time to do it. There will be 50 extra police officers downtown to help keep things calm, but most Rotarians will be focused on having a great time and experiencing all that Calgary has to offer.
CBC
07-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'We are very nimble': Calgary mayor keeps door open to G7 white hatting
With a little more than a week to go before world leaders arrive in Kananaskis, Alta., for the G7 summit, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said she is ready to continue the city's white hat ceremony tradition if logistics allow. "We are happy to white hat any of the dignitaries that are coming to town," Gondek said in an interview Friday. "We have been patient as the government has been figuring out their plans, and as dignitaries are determining how they will be traveling in and through our city." On Wednesday, a Tourism Calgary spokesperson said that "given the complexity around security and the event, at this time, there are no plans for our team to conduct a white hat ceremony for G7." Alberta's ministry of tourism and sport also said it's not planning a ceremony for the G7. Federal organizers with the G7 haven't responded to requests for comment. The Smithbilt cowboy hat has long been presented to visitors as a symbol of the city's hospitality. In 2002, then-Calgary mayor Dave Bronconnier greeted G8 leaders on the Calgary airport tarmac, including former U.S. president George W. Bush and former French president Jacques Chirac. Gondek emphasized the significance of the gesture. "We are known for our hospitality and our volunteerism and our ability to make people feel so welcome when they visit our city," Gondek said. "It's a really good symbol of who we are." Unclear which leaders will travel through Calgary While there's currently no ceremony planned, Gondek confirmed she is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney and said she's awaiting further guidance from officials. "We are very nimble and responsive to whatever the situation may be. And if there's an opportunity to do something bigger and more formal, obviously we will be engaging with any partners that we can," she said. Asked if she would be open to white hatting all G7 leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump amid ongoing trade tensions, Gondek said any such plans would depend on travel logistics and who actually passes through Calgary. "I can't deal in hypotheticals, but as opportunities come up, we'll definitely evaluate them," she said. The G7 summit in Kananaskis is set to run from June 15 to 17 and has been referred to by officials as one of the most complex domestic security operations a country can undertake, with thousands of personnel deployed across the region. Gondek said the city has been working closely with the Calgary Police Service to ensure any traffic detours that need to be put into place are being done as quickly as possible. She also noted the airport tunnel's closure from June 15 to 18. "We are advising all employees, all travelers, anyone going to businesses in that vicinity that you won't have access to the tunnel," she said. "There's [also] a lot of motorcade drills that are happening in the city right now. So it's best to give yourself a little bit of extra time." Officials from the United States, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy and Canada, as well as the European Union, are scheduled to attend this year's summit.
CBC
05-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Calgary's white hat welcome tradition appears to be a no-go for the G7 this time around
Social Sharing As the world's most powerful leaders prepare to descend on Kananaskis, Alta., for this year's G7 summit, a famous Calgary welcome tradition may not take place this time. There are no current plans for a white hat ceremony as dignitaries arrive in the Calgary region for the summit, according to Tourism Calgary and the mayor's office. "Given the complexity around security and the event, at this time, there are no plans for our team to conduct a white hat ceremony for G7," Lorèn Lailey, a spokesperson with Tourism Calgary, said in an email. Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek is still open to the idea but her office has not been able to confirm any role for the mayor in handing out white hats. "Our office, along with city organizers, have been in contact with the summit management office regarding the mayor's possibility of white hatting but we are still waiting to hear back," Sophie Stone, a communications assistant in the mayor's office, said in an email. Alberta's ministry of tourism and sport also said it's not planning a ceremony for the G7, and referred CBC News to federal organizers. Federal organizers with the G7 didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Lailey, with Tourism Calgary, said the organization has not been asked to issue white hats for the event, but couldn't speak for other organizations around the city. Intended to serve as symbol of hospitality In 2002, the last time the region hosted the summit, then-Calgary mayor Dave Bronconnier and other officials greeted G8 leaders on the Calgary airport tarmac, handing each of them a white Smithbilt cowboy hat. The hat has long been presented to visitors, intended to serve as a symbol of the city's hospitality. At the time of the last summit, some leaders embraced the gesture, including former U.S. president George W. Bush, who pulled his hat low and shouted "Yeah!", according to Calgary Herald reporting at the time. Others, like former French president Jacques Chirac and former British prime minister Tony Blair, chose not to don the hat, or passed them off to aides. The white cowboy hat dates back to the late 1940s. In the 1950s, Calgary's mayor Don MacKay started the tradition of presenting white hats to visiting dignitaries. Since then, the hats have been given to everyone from Pope John Paul II to Oprah Winfrey to Bob Dylan. 'Largest domestic security operation' The summit, set to run from June 15 to 17 in Kananaskis, is being referred to by security officials as "the largest domestic security operation" a country can take on. Thousands of delegates, journalists, and security personnel will be spread across Calgary and the surrounding region. Security officials have specifically highlighted new technology at play, with the biggest concern being the advent of unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones. Officials have said they will deploy a counter-drone team in Kananaskis, but haven't laid out specific measures those teams will take. WATCH | RCMP and Calgary police outline security plans for G7 summit: RCMP and Calgary police outline security plans for G7 summit 2 days ago Duration 1:45 Gary Mar, a former Alberta cabinet minister who attended the 2002 ceremony, recalled Junichiro Koizumi, the Japanese prime minister at the time, marvelling at the blue skies as he donned his white hat. "He said 'beautiful place' and he proudly wore the hat. And he was quite tickled by it. And of course, president Bush was very familiar with cowboy hats, and he was delighted to receive one," Mar said. Mar said even if the ceremony doesn't go ahead, he's confident Calgary and the region will show its hospitality in other ways. "The white hat ceremony is a great tradition, but not an essential one … there will be some expressions of great hospitality," he said. Leaders from the United States, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy and Canada, as well as the European Union, will attend this year's summit.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
G7 Summit could kick off record-setting summer for tourism in Calgary
After a slower start to the year for tourism, Calgary could be in for a record-setting summer on the back of the G7 Summit, the Calgary Stampede and other events. With the G7 Summit expected to bring 10,000-plus hotel room night bookings to Calgary, Tourism Calgary said it is expecting 2025 to be 'one of the busiest summers on record' for visitation. 'The first part of the year, the tourism industry has seen effects from geopolitical issues putting pressure on domestic and international travel,' said Alisha Reynolds, Calgary Tourism's president and CEO. 'However, while there may still be some volatility ahead, the next few months look strong – with hotel bookings for Stampede pacing ahead of 2024 in most areas of the city. We remain positive that consumer confidence will rebound as we head into the amazingly busy summer months for Calgary.' The G7 Summit, scheduled for June 15-17 in Kananaskis, will bring 5,000 people to the region to participate in meetings, along with thousands of journalists, security personnel and government employees. Following the summit, the 2025 Rotary International Convention will also be in town from June 21-25, before the Calgary Stampede kicks off on July 4. The Rotary convention is expecting to host over 15,000 delegates from more than 120 different countries in Calgary and bring in more than $81 million to the local economy. 'With the opening of the expanded BMO Convention Centre last year, we now have the ability to host more, and larger, conventions throughout the year, providing a significant boost to Calgary's economy year-round and to the many local businesses who rely on visitors to help them thrive,' Reynolds said. A recent report from the Mastercard Economic Institute showed Calgary is also among the top six emerging travel destinations for Canada and U.S. residents in summer 2025. The report also listed Banff as Canada's top municipality on its 'foodie list,' which analyzes 'cross-border spending at eating places to identify the most globalized foodie cities.'
