NatGeo puts Alberta tourist spots in top 25

National Geographic put Alberta on its annual “Best of the World” list of tourism destinations.

The magazine’s list, released in the last week of October, brought attention to the province’s especially breathtaking mountain scenes as well as its opportunities for Indigenous teachings about the land.

“These 25 destinations for 2023 are under the radar, ahead of the curve and ready for you to start exploring,” stated Nat Geo in the article that was written by its global editors and published on its website.

The list was divided into five categories: community, nature, culture, family and adventure.

“Experience how long-held traditions and contemporary perspectives intersect, with Indigenous tourism outfitters in Alberta, Canada,” the article reads.

Alberta was placed into the community category, and the article linked it to another one that delved into it being a top spot for slow travel.

That article celebrated the province’s natural wonders, including the Athabasca Glacier and its Indigenous sites such as Writing-on-Stone/Aisinai’pi, the UNESCO World Heritage site in the Milk River Valley.

“But there are different perspectives to consider in this Canadian province, part of a rethinking about how Indigenous stories are told across all of North America,” that article reads.

“Travellers who seek us out want to reconnect and refocus,” said Cree/Iroquois guide Brenda Holder in the article.

Other international destinations among the top five spots for slow travel in 2023 included Laos, Ghana and the Dodecanese Islands in Greece.

“We are honoured to be recognized by National Geographic and are excited for the opportunity it brings to further grow the Indigenous tourism industry in Alberta,” said Shae Bird, CEO of Indigenous Tourism Alberta.

“This recognition will allow our members to be exposed to an international travel market, leading to more opportunities for each of them to share their culture, language and traditional land-based teachings.”

– By Scott Hayes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Jasper Fitzhugh

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