Tourism Saskatchewan - IndustryMatters.com

This past year has been one of continued growth and
development for the tourism industry in Saskatchewan.
Building on the momentum of our presence at the 2010
Winter Vancouver Olympic and Paralympics Games, we
took pride in telling Saskatchewan’s story to the world.
In April, the Government of Saskatchewan, in partnership
with Tourism Saskatchewan, shared our story at Prairie
Scene in Ottawa, where we promoted Saskatchewan’s
cultural and artistic community. The Ministry of Tourism,
Parks, Culture and Sport also celebrated the 80th
anniversary of Saskatchewan’s provincial park system,
including the culmination of a four-year, $33-million
commitment to improving our provincial parks.
Throughout 2011, Saskatchewan’s tourism industry
continued to move forward. Overnight or longer visitor
expenditures were forecasted to have grown by 7.5 per
cent. Saskatchewan played host to large national and
international events, and launched an in-province
marketing campaign to promote Saskatchewan to our
own residents.
In 2010, travel and tourism generated an estimated $1.65
billion in traveller expenditures in Saskatchewan, and with
approximately 4,000 tourism-related businesses in the
province, supporting almost 60,000 jobs, tourism remains
an important economic generator.
When our government took office in 2007, we made the
commitment to double the funding to tourism in
Saskatchewan. I am proud to say that over the past four
years, our government has met and exceeded this
commitment, delivering $34 million in tourism funding,
including a 50 per cent increase in annual funding to
Tourism Saskatchewan.
In the 2011 Provincial Budget, we made a commitment to
fund the first stage of development of a Quality
Assurance Program for Saskatchewan’s tourism industry.
I am pleased that some important milestones of this
project have already been reached, including the creation
of the first set of industry-developed quality criteria. This
program will ensure that visitors to Saskatchewan will
have high-quality experiences, the kind that build a
personal connection with our province and brings them
back again and again.
Looking forward, I am confident that the year ahead will
be one of significant growth. The ministry will continue to
support the hosting of major events through our Event
Hosting Program, including the 2012 Tim Horton’s Brier
and Canadian Country Music Awards. The excellent
teamwork of Tourism Saskatchewan, City Marketing
Organizations, and Destination Marketing Organizations
in promoting Saskatchewan is an important element in
attracting and hosting these events.
10