Southern Alberta is taking a significant step toward building a coordinated tourism corridor, as partners across the Highway 3 region align around a $120,000 regional investment supported through the Government of Alberta’s Northern and Regional Economic Development program.
Officials say the Highway 3 Alberta Tourism Corridor Development Project brings together communities and organizations from Medicine Hat to the South Canadian Rockies, marking a shift toward a more connected, investment-ready regional tourism approach.
This work aligns with broader national strategies, including Destination Canada’s Prairies to Pacific Corridor, positioning southern Alberta as part of a larger, connected travel experience that can better compete for domestic and international visitors.
It also supports Travel Alberta’s Tourism Destination Zone framework, reinforcing the region’s focus on collaboration, product development, and a more coordinated approach to destination development.
Led by the Taber Community Improvement Society, in partnership with Tourism Lethbridge, Tourism Medicine Hat, South Canadian Rockies Tourism, Waterton Lakes National Park and the Town of Taber, the project reflects a growing trend of destinations working collaboratively to compete in a more global and experience-driven travel market.
The initiative will focus on developing a unified Highway 3 Alberta tourism brand, launching a centralized website and creating curated itineraries designed to encourage longer stays and increased visitor spending.
Dominika Wojcik from Tourism Lethbridge reiterated the project is about regional collaboration and destination development. “Which is going to help us create a more connected visitor experience across southern Alberta. By working together with a lot of these smaller communities and organizations, we’re able to scale our efforts, so we can compete more effectively.”
“We’re able to now leverage funding to compete in the larger markets we weren’t always able to get into, and who doesn’t love doing a beautiful road trip across the Highway 3 corridor and checking out some amazing communities?”
Overall, Wojcik added the project will continue to showcase southern Alberta, as a true gem for visitors.
The corridor will also prioritize the inclusion and growth of Indigenous tourism experiences, with ongoing collaboration and relationship-building with Indigenous communities, including the Blackfoot Confederacy and Destination Blackfoot to ensure these stories and experiences are meaningfully represented.
Project work will begin this month, with completion targeted for March 2027.
