[twitter]I’ve never lived in a city where people were so eager to leave every weekend. In Vancouver, there’s golf, water, mountains, and hiking basically within the city limits. People will go and explore without ever really leaving town.

In Calgary, people start to pack up and leave sometime around noon on Friday. You can escape in any direction on the compass and find something exciting to do within a 2 hour drive.

It’s awesome. Just remember to breathe.

Travel Alberta‘s Remember to Breathe campaign is spectacular. In addition to the long form video above, there are season specific editions for summer and winter travel.

This week the campaign was honoured as the best in the world.
It won the Diamond Award as the best entry in the annual Golden City Gate international film and media competition at the International Tourism Fair (ITB) in Berlin.

Travel Alberta’s entry also won a gold award in the “regions” category, beating out entries from Spain, Mexico, France, Finland, Switzerland and Germany.

“Albertans are proud of their home and they want to share it with the world. Travel Alberta’s powerful new brand captures that pride by showcasing the stunning beauty and the exhilaration visitors experience when they come to our province,” said Jack Hayden, Minister of Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation. “This award acknowledges our commitment to make a stronger impact in the global marketplace and to welcome more people to Alberta each and every year.”

So, when are you coming for a visit?