Saskatchewan Tourism Week includes town-hall meetings with operators

Regina – The Saskatchewan government has proclaimed May 23-29 as Saskatchewan Tourism Week and set up consultations with operators to plan for post-COVID recovery.

The week, which coincides with the national celebration of Tourism Week in Canada, is meant to inspire Saskatchewan residents to make nearby discoveries, support local businesses and model safe practices to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

It’s also a chance to plan for industry recovery, build a resilient tourism sector and prepare for the return of visitors, the government said in a news release.

Estimates for 2020 show that spending dropped from $2.17 billion in 2019 to $1.17 billion and the province saw 7.07 million visits (down from 11.82 million visits in 2019) to and within its borders. Employment declined 30 per cent over the previous year, with roughly 49,800 people employed in the tourism sector in August 2020.

According to The Conference Board of Canada, there is optimism with $1.71 billion in tourism spending and 9.42 million visits forecast for Saskatchewan in 2021. However, full recovery to pre-pandemic levels is not expected until 2023.

During Saskatchewan Tourism Week, Tourism Saskatchewan will host three virtual tourism town hall meetings for industry operators and stakeholders on May 25, 26 and 27. Participants in the Let’s Talk Tourism: The Road to Recovery sessions will hear updates on the current state of the province’s tourism industry after a year of unprecedented challenges.

The agenda includes presentations on the Restart Marketing Strategy, research and trends, education and training, as well as opportunities to work with Tourism Saskatchewan and access funding programs that can help tourism businesses. The town hall meetings are designed to offer two-way dialogue and feature a breakout component with facilitated discussion among industry participants.

For more information on Saskatchewan Tourism Week, visit industry.tourismsaskatchewan.com.