Tourism Saskatchewan - IndustryMatters.com

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The past year has been a tumultuous and exciting time,
full of challenges and successes. The tourism sector
continued to develop and expand, bringing new
opportunities for visitors around the world to experience
the wonders of our province. It has been a rare privilege
to serve as Board Chair and witness firsthand the
dedication, commitment, and energy that organizations,
operators, and many stakeholders bring to the tourism
sector.
Tourism Saskatchewan has been busy this year. A few
notable highlights from the 2010-2011 fiscal year include:
• Targeted marketing initiatives that raised
Saskatchewan’s profile throughout North America,
including Tourism Saskatchewan’s first 30-second fishing
commercial;
• The launch of a new website dedicated to travel media,
which earned the online marketing team a GoMedia
award;
• Continued development of destination area planning in
various parts of the province;
• The appointment of a Program Director to the Quality
Assurance Program, which continued to develop criteria
for quality assurance;
• Continued redesign of Tourism Saskatchewan’s travel
literature series, with a new look and content for the
2011 Saskatchewan Fishing and Hunting Guide;
• Successful advocacy initiatives, including Tourism
Awareness Week, our first Tourism Advocacy Day, and
the fourth annual HOST Saskatchewan Conference;
• The cultural partnership launched between Tourism
Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Arts Board, and
SaskArt (formerly SPAGA); and
• The call from the Regional Board of Directors for a more
flexible and responsive funding model, which led to the
establishment of the Tourism Program Funding Review
Committee and the decision to reallocate administrative
funding for the Regions.
In 2010-2011, Saskatchewan’s tourism industry
continued to grow and build on its successes. Tourism
contributed almost $1.65 billion to the economy, a small
but notable gain over 2009. At 58,000 people, significant
gains were made in employment in the sector with an
increase of 8.2 per cent over the previous year. Despite a
slight drop in visits from the U.S., overall visits were up by
1.8 per cent over the previous year, with a total of almost
9.1 million visits.
Building and fostering relationships is key to the success
of our industry. Tourism Saskatchewan has a leadership
role to play in encouraging every part of the sector to
work together, from operators and sector organizations to
the business community and all levels of government. As
this year has shown, success comes from collaborating to
best serve our industry.
I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to the staff
and management of Tourism Saskatchewan. They have
worked hard this year to serve the sector. My special
thanks go out to Dr. Lynda Haverstock, who continues to
guide the organization and provide steady, inspired
leadership.
I also acknowledge the efforts made by volunteer
committees, dedicated President’s Task Teams, the rural
Regions, government partners, the Ministry of Tourism,
Parks, Culture and Sport, stakeholder associations, and
sponsors.