Alberta Record

· Bill / New consumer protection rules · enacted

Bill 16 — Mandatory Price Transparency for Accommodation and Tourism Experiences

Amends the Consumer Protection Act to require accommodation providers to disclose all mandatory fees and charges upfront for accommodation and tourism experiences.

Moderate impactCivil libertiesCensorship & access to informationThe public, directly

What changed

  • Amends the Consumer Protection Act (RSA 2000 CC-26.3) by adding a new Division 4, 'Price Transparency' (Section 25).
  • Requires accommodation providers to disclose all mandatory fees and charges at the time of booking an accommodation or tourism experience (Section 25, new s. 23.1(2)).
  • Mandates that, upon request, accommodation providers must disclose the purpose of each mandatory fee or charge and how the collected funds will be used (Section 25, new s. 23.1(3)).

Why it matters

  • Establishes a new provincial standard for consumer protection in the tourism sector, ensuring greater transparency regarding the total cost of accommodation and tourism experiences.
  • Reduces the practice of 'drip pricing' by requiring upfront disclosure of all mandatory fees, which directly affects citizens' ability to make informed purchasing decisions.
  • Increases accountability for how mandatory fees, including destination marketing fees, are used by requiring disclosure of their purpose upon request.

Rights affected

  • Access to information — The ability to see public records and government decisions.

Other governance concerns

  • Consumer protection
  • Transparency in pricing

Primary sources (1)

Secondary sources (3)