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A significant drop in business travel to Calgary in the past few years has prompted a move by Tourism Calgary and Travel Alberta to diversify the city’s tourism industry.

“When the recession began, business (travel) was at about 25 per cent of travel to Calgary, and since then it’s really backed off and created quite a big gap for our industry,” said Cindy Ady, Tourism Calgary CEO. “So there’s had to be a real re-reckoning, and leisure travel has become a big driver of that.”

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At Tourism Calgary’s annual general meeting on Thursday morning, Travel Alberta vice-president of industry and development Shelley Grollmuss announced Calgary was chosen as the sixth community to be selected for their SHiFT program.

“SHiFT is a three-and-a-half day course that immerses tourism business and host communities in experience development, combining classroom training with excursions to local businesses that pilot these new experiences,” Grollmuss said.