Manager, Destination and Commercial Development

Travel Alberta•Calgary, AB

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

At Travel Alberta, we are working toward an ambitious goal: doubling Alberta’s visitor economy to $25B by 2035. This role sits at the centre of that ambition, not from a promotional lens, but from destination, business-building and commercial development lenses. This role is for someone who has either spent their career asking themselves or consulting to others and asking the hard question: “Is this actually viable, and if so, what do we need to do to make it work?” The Manager, Destination & Commercial Development advances the growth of real tourism business and investment opportunities across assigned regions in Alberta. Working directly with entrepreneurs, operators, municipalities, and regional partners, this role helps shape early tourism concepts and destination plans into viable, investable, executable projects. You are often the first point of contact at Travel Alberta for regional development opportunities, so this is a trusted advisor role grounded in practical business experience, not program administration or marketing. The work is all about unlocking regional tourism potential in Alberta to achieve our aggressive goal of doubling the size of our visitor economy by improving: Commercial viability, Investment appeal, Destination readiness, Execution quality & delivery. A key part of success is knowing when to lean in and shape a business and when to challenge assumptions that don’t hold up.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or certificate in Business Management, Economic Development, Tourism Management or a related field or an equivalent contribution of education and experience.
3+ years in business development, economic development, lending, advisory, or SME support.
Direct experience working with or as an entrepreneur or small business from concept through growth.
Exposure to investment decisions, risk, and real-world business constraints.
Understanding of financial statements, cash flow, and business cases.
Ability to quickly separate theory from operational reality.
Ability to assess investment readiness and commercial viability.
Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and practically.
Ability to build trust quickly across diverse stakeholders.
Ability to deliver candid, constructive feedback without losing relationships.
Ability to work effectively with business owners, municipalities, and partners.
Comfortable operating in ambiguity and incomplete information.
Ability to identify what is viable, what needs adjustment, and what should stop.
Ability to apply practical, execution-focused judgment.

Nice To Haves

You’ve likely helped or led business survival, stabilization, or growth.
You can look at a model and immediately tell what holds up and what doesn’t.
You can walk into a room with operators, municipalities, or funders and quickly become the most grounded voice in it.
You’re comfortable when there is no perfect answer only better or worse paths forward.
This role is for someone who has built their career working in or alongside businesses not observing them from a distance.
If you are motivated by: Turning ideas into viable businesses. Helping entrepreneurs succeed. Strengthening regional economies through real outcomes. …this is an opportunity to do that work at scale across Alberta.

Responsibilities

Identify, shape, and advance tourism opportunities from early concept to execution readiness, while working with communities to strengthen the conditions for sustainable tourism growth.
Work with early-stage operators and help turn them into thriving businesses, often in partnership with local stakeholders and communities.
Refine business models, revenue strategies, and operating approaches with proponents.
Work alongside communities and partners to align tourism development with local economic priorities and opportunities.
Manage a pipeline of tourism investment and development opportunities from concept to execution readiness.
Assess viability using financial, market, and operational judgment.
Provide clear recommendations on risk, feasibility, and next steps.
Assess real-world business viability through financial and operational lenses.
Review business plans, financial statements, and pro formas.
Assess cash flow, capital needs, and sensitivity to assumptions.
Strengthen proposals through practical challenge and refinement.
Support internal investment decisions with grounded commercial insight.
Support regional destination development aligned with Tourism Development Zones.
Find opportunities to fill gaps in accommodation, experiences, and infrastructure.
Work with municipalities and partners to align priorities.
Collaborate with internal Travel Alberta teams to progress businesses on a path to maturity from market ready to export ready.
Support proponents through land, regulatory, and planning processes.
Ground development in market demand and feasibility.
Act as a first-call advisor for operators, communities, and partners, working in coordination with Investor Services to support investment attraction and readiness.
Provide practical guidance to improve investment readiness.
Work closely with Investor Services to align proponents with the right supports, resources, and investment pathways.
Evaluate applications using a commercial lens.
Share actionable insights and best practices.
Represent Travel Alberta with credibility grounded in experience.
Stay engaged beyond approval to ensure outcomes are delivered.
Drive initiatives from concept through execution.
Remove barriers to feasibility and delivery.
Coordinate partners and consultants to maintain alignment.
Focus relentlessly on outcomes, not activity.
Engage as a credible commercial counterpart.
Build relationships with operators, investors, and municipalities.
Balance competing interests while advancing viable projects.
Provide practical, deal-oriented guidance.
Focus on execution and progression, not promotion.