Alberta Was Named As One Of The Top Travel Destinations For 2023 & It's The Only One In Canada

Alberta has been named as one of the top 25 destinations in the world to visit in 2023 and it's the only spot in Canada to make it on the list.

In its annual list of the top 25 travel destinations in the world, National Geographic said Alberta is one of the places travellers should be visiting in the new year alongside places like the Scottish Highlands, Laos, and Ghana.

According to National Geographic, Alberta is one of the top five spots in the world for "meaningful travel" and highlighted the province's Indigenous tourism sector, where "long-held traditions and contemporary perspectives intersect."

Alongside well-known landmarks like Banff National Park, Athabasca Glacier and cities like Calgary and Edmonton, Indigenous sites in Alberta "offer touchstones into the province's pre-European past," National Geographic said.

Among places to visit, National Geographic recommended Elk Island National Park, just outside of Edmonton.

The park is home to hundreds of plains bison and woods bison that can be found wandering around the park.

It offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the area's history dating back 8,000 years through activities like guided hikes, interpretive programs and Cree crafting workshops.

Writing-on-Stone, or Áísínai'pi, was also given a shout-out by National Geographic.

The UNESCO World Heritage site set in the prairies of the Milk River Valley is in the heart of Traditional Blackfoot Territory where people have lived for 10,000 years according to Alberta Parks.

Visitors can explore rock carvings and paintings on sandstone as well as natural rock formations like hoodoos and coulees.

So if you're planning a Canadian vacation anytime soon, Alberta should definitely be on your list!