Beautiful summer aerial shot of Red Deer's river valley.

MEdia & News

Find out what's happening in the Tourism Industry in Red Deer and Central Alberta.

Latest News:

Tourism Red Deer is pleased to invite you to our upcoming Annual General Meeting, which will take place on Thursday, April 4 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm. The agenda includes a comprehensive review of our achievements in 2023, a presentation of our upcoming plans and strategic direction. Your presence as a voting member is greatly appreciated, offering you the chance to vote on the election of new board members, proposed bylaw amendments, and to examine our organization's financial reports. Therefore, we kindly request that you register for the meeting by clicking on the registration link below. Please note that your 2024 Tourism Red Deer membership must be in good standing to be eligible to vote.

DATE: Thursday, April 4

TIME: 4:00 - 6:00 pm

LOCATION: Tourism Red Deer

RSVP: REGISTER HERE

2023 Year in Review

As we reflect on an eventful 2023 at Tourism Red Deer, it fills us with immense pride to see our journey towards becoming a Destination Development Corporation. This evolution marks a significant milestone in our commitment to not only promote, but also be recognized as the top major event destination among mid-sized cities in Canada. We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated staff, whose relentless efforts and unwavering dedication have been instrumental in our growth and success. With the appointment of Jesse Smith as our new CEO, we have taken a bold step forward. Jesse brings a fresh perspective, innovative ideas, and a deep passion for Red Deer, which are crucial as we embark on an exciting year ahead. As we move forward, let us embrace these changes with enthusiasm and work collaboratively to grow Red Deer and Region's visitor economy through impactful tourism marketing, destination development, and tourism event attraction.

-       Jonathan Strome and Rob Ironside, Co-Chairs | Tourism Red Deer

Tourism Red Deer Business Plan

In 2022, the Tourism Red Deer Board approved the Tourism Red Deer Business Plan with the support of the City of Red Deer and Red Deer County. This new approach will lead to the transition of Tourism Red Deer into a new reimagined destination development corporation that will oversee tourism marketing, destination development, and tourism event development in Red Deer and Region.

Click here to download

Tourism Red Deer Board of Directors

The Tourism Red Deer Board of Directors are the support of the organization. They focus on the long-term strategic direction, mission, and goals of Tourism Red Deer. They are a governance board that develops policies and procedures based on principles of sustainability, visitor experience, industry member value, marketing, and destination development.

At Tourism Red Deer we are a collective voice of a strong and diverse tourism community and lead the development of authentic experiences. We drive destination development, create awareness and promote regional collaboration to enhance the visitor experience.

The Board of Directors supports the Tourism Red Deer CEO through strategic leadership and insight to ensure the organization can continue to provide leadership for the tourism industry and develop experiences for the visitors within our region.

Meet our 2023-2024 Board of Directors:

Jonathan Strome, Co-Chair

Rob Ironside, Co-Chair

Nancy Paish, Past Chair

Dean Williams, Secretary

Michelle Tooze- Matthews, Treasurer

Vesna Higham, Director

Lonny Kennett, Director

Doug Boss, Director

Amanda Gould, Director

Robbie Halonen, Director

Shelly Flint, Director

Sandra Badry, Advisor

Michelle Zeggil, Advisor

March 30, 2021

Major Event Strategy & Destination Development Framework

The Red Deer Major Event Strategy and Destination Development Framework was developed to help position Red Deer as a premier tourism and event destination in Canada.

Approved by City Council in 2021, the strategy recommends a collaborative model. It outlines a single point of contact for major events and offers a vision to align destination development with major event attraction. Tourism Red Deer was identified as that single point of contact and is working closely with The City in development of a business plan for this opportunity. Click here for more information.

Media: Bring The Story Alive

Red Deer is in the centre of it all, halfway between Calgary and Edmonton, Red Deer is young, vibrant and growing fast with a median age under 35 years. Residents and visitors alike enjoy exploring more than 110 km of trails that traverse the Waskasoo Park System, participating or watching sports in top notch facilities, discovering unique attractions and attending a variety of cultural events.

Red Deer makes a great home base for experiencing the delights of Central Alberta. Red Deer is one of the fastest growing and most vibrant regions of Canada with strong agricultural roots and values and plenty of unique stories just waiting to be told.

We invite you to share our story in your own way and we’re here to help you get the message out. We can provide information, story ideas, high resolution images, contacts, and just about anything else you might need.

Contact Us

If you need more information or you’d like to arrange a media visit, please contact marketing@tourismreddeer.com or call 403-346-0180.

A young family enjoying a summer meal at the DNA Gardens in Red Deer.
A young family enjoying a summer meal at the DNA Gardens in Red Deer.

Become a Member

Tourism Red Deer can connect you with new customers, assist with experience and itinerary development, expand your marketing reach, produce digital assets and provide access to industry resources to support business growth. Members also have exclusive access to a variety of tools to leverage marketing dollars.

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