Not just flat: What tourism means to Saskatchewan
April 15-19 has been proclaimed as Tourism Week in Saskatchewan by the province as nationally Canada’s tourism industry is also recognized.
In Saskatchewan tourism generates over $2.4 billion in yearly spending and employs close to 71,000 people.
Tourism Saskatchewan CEO Jonathan Potts said the week is an opportunity to highlight all there is to see and do in Saskatchewan as well as recognize all those who are employed in the industry.
“It’s a big industry and we actually punch a little bit above our weight in the country,” Potts said. “It’s (tourism spending) everything from the attractions people visit, private and public, from business to parks to hotels and restaurants and so forth.”
Potts said tourism is a large economic driver in the province and something that has seen substantial growth in the past few years following the pandemic.
“The growth is coming from lots of different places, right now our American visitors are really coming back, so we saw a 54 per cent increase last year in rubber tire traffic, people driving across the border to come to Saskatchewan,” Potts said.
There was also a 46 per cent increase in air traffic from the U.S., according to Potts.
“We’re also seeing really strong supports from people in Alberta, Manitoba and other parts of Canada as well,” he said.
Potts said preconceived notions that Saskatchewan is just flat land can make things more challenging for tourism, but he also recognized that many people are unaware of Saskatchewan’s landscape which can make bringing people here easier.
“When you’re dealing with people that don’t know it as well it’s not as hard and there’s lots of amazing experiences here,” Potts said.
Potts said the tourism industry is focusing on attractions like astro-tourism, which is gazing at the vast night skies that can be seen across the province.
“Saskatchewan is a great place for that so we’re finding markets across North America and beyond that love the idea of coming here for those things,” Potts said.
Potts said hunting and fishing remain big attractions.
“Hunting licences to Americans grew about 30 per cent last year,” he said.
Potts added that 2024 is expected to be another busy year for tourism and another year of growth.
“We expect that the domestic markets Saskatchewan residents will probably want to stick around with dollars a little tighter these days, but we still expect that strong U.S. market to come in and we’re starting to see our over seas visitors return as well.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Ontario woman surprised after 20-year-old fines suddenly tank credit score
An Ontario woman says that she was shocked when provincial fines from 20 years ago suddenly tanked her credit score last week, but the situation may not be as unusual as it seems, according to at least one debt expert.
Anger can harm your blood vessel function, study shows
Stress and anger can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health, studies have shown. New research points to just how the mechanism may work.
A 98-year-old in Ukraine walked miles to safety from Russians, with slippers and a cane
A 98-year-old woman in Ukraine who escaped Russian-occupied territory by walking almost 10 kilometres (six miles) alone, wearing a pair of slippers and supported by a cane has been reunited with her family days after they were separated while fleeing to safety.
Will an 'out of sight, out of mind' cellphone policy make a difference in Ontario schools?
Ontario’s cellphone ban in schools has been met with mixed reaction, with some teachers concerned about constant policing of kids and experts applauding the change as necessary for student learning.
A Utah couple accidentally shipped their cat with an Amazon return. A week -- and 3 'miracles' -- later, they were on a plane to meet a stranger
The Amazon returns employee wasn't at work the day one of her colleagues at a California warehouse found a small, furry stowaway in a box mailed six days earlier from Utah. But Brandy Hunter got the call anyway.
Dueling protesters clash at UCLA hours after police clear pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia
Dueling groups of protesters clashed Wednesday at the University of California, Los Angeles, grappling in fistfights and shoving, kicking and using sticks to beat one another. Hours earlier, police burst into a building at Columbia University that pro-Palestinian protesters took over and broke up a demonstration that had paralyzed the school while inspiring others.
Poilievre kicked out of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko'
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
Avalanche eliminate Winnipeg Jets from playoffs with 6-3 road win
Mikko Rantanen's first two goals of the playoffs propelled the Colorado Avalanche to a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday that clinched their opening-round playoff series in five games.