A spokesman for Rocky Mountaineer said the train will remain wrapped in Alberta promotional materials for months after the Olympics. (CBC)Alberta rolled out its luxury train on Friday, a key part of a $7-million marketing campaign to promote the province to tourists and business executives during the Vancouver Olympics.

The province has exclusively booked the Rocky Mountaineer for runs between Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., between Feb 12 and 28. Alberta's train has provincial promotional materials both inside and out.

"It's a one-of-a-kind Olympic experience. It's the only train service between Whistler and Vancouver," said Premier Ed Stelmach during the train's unveiling on Friday.

"It's going to give us a competitive edge to get our name out there — Alberta," said Stelmach.

Stelmach defends Olympic spending

Alberta Liberal Leader David Swann has said wining and dining on a chartered train in B.C. isn't a good use of taxpayers' money while programs are being cut at home in Alberta.

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach laughs at a joke while posing for photographers aboard Alberta's Olympic train. (CBC)But Stelmach defended the province's decision to spend millions promoting Alberta at the Winter Games, despite tabling a budget earlier this week with a $4.7-billion deficit.

"One way, of course, of paying for all the social programs is really economic growth. Economic growth comes from being in amongst the world's business community, which is going to be here. The numbers of jets, private jets, that landed just yesterday tells me there is a lot of businesses that are going to be here," he said.

The train will remain wrapped in Alberta promotional materials for months after the Olympics and Alberta will benefit from the media attention and the tens of thousands of passengers who will travel on it, said Randy Powell, president of Rocky Mountaineer.

To help cover the cost of the deal, provincial officials also plan to rent out space on the Alberta Train to corporations wanting to treat customers.

The Alberta government hasn't provided a breakdown on how its $7-million Olympics marketing budget will be spent, but besides the train, the province is hosting a pavilion in downtown Vancouver on the busy corner of Robson and Beatty streets called Alberta House.

The facility will have a public plaza featuring artists and performances, as well as interactive screens to share information about the province with Olympic visitors.