Out-of-towners will benefit from the introduction of an express bus linking downtown to the airport, according to a Tourism Calgary representative.

On Monday, city council gave the go-ahead to a pilot project put forward by Mayor Naheed Nenshi, which will see an express bus instituted for a six-month trial period.

Coming from the U.K., Andrea Sutherhill and her husband said they opted to stay at an airport hotel because they were unsure what methods of transportation were available.

“Maybe if it had been a bit easier we would have perhaps come downtown,” she said, adding they ultimately rented a car to get around.

Tourism Calgary President and CEO Randy Williams said this is a positive step that will make the city more accessible to visitors.

“If they’ve got more than one choice to get around the city, we think that’s a good thing.”

The cost of the six-month express bus pilot project, which will come into service on July 1, is $336,000.