CLARKWATCH: Follow news and updates regarding sanctions on Mayor Clark.

Destination Marketing Organization reports increase in tourists last year

Mar 8, 2017 | 4:36 PM

 

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Medicine Hat saw a slight increase in tourists stopping in the city in 2016, according to a new report.

The Destination Marketing Organization presented its annual report for 2016 to the city’s development and infrastructure committee Wednesday afternoon. The report revealed 20,677 people stopped at the Visitor’s Centre in 2016.

Jace Anderson, executive director of the organization, says there are a number of factors for the increase.

“We saw a lot more folks from Alberta and our region plan on near-vacations and near staycations, so we were the benefit of that,” he said. “The American traffic over the border continued to grow, and we were really excited to see and to be in the benefit of the second year of promoting destination awareness and the marketing initiatives that we’ve been driving since we took the contract on.”

In 2015, the first year of the partnership between the DMO and the city, approximately 19,000 people stopped at the visitor’s centre, said Anderson.

“Traditional summer traffic begins May long weekend, and in 2015 that was the case,” said Anderson. “In 2016, our attendance began to spike in April, so travellers and visitors began to get out earlier in the year.”

Anderson noted the DMO also took over the operation of the Visitor’s Centre in Walsh last year, with nearly 30,000 people stopping in at that centre.

The report also noted the number of American travellers has increased, with travellers from 44 states visiting the centre in 2016, up from 38 states in 2015. The primary state for travellers in 2016 was California, followed by Minnesota and Montana.

“California is one of the primary markets that Travel Alberta promotes the entire province in,” says Anderson. “With Minnesota, we recognize the likelihood that a significant number of those eastern and central American states are taking their Alaskan pilgrimage. Instead of coming north south of Lethbridge, a significant number of those travellers are coming north on the Number One highway and spending more time in Canada, which means we’re in fact the gateway to the province.”

Anderson adds he expects 2017 to be another busy season at the Visitor’s Centre for tourists, with more travellers vacationing closer to home and taking advantage of free admission to national parks in 2017.

“It’s going to drastically or greatly increase Highway One traffic, and we’re a natural point for benefitting from that volume,” he said.

The contract between the city and the DMO ends in 2018. The organization receives $389,000 in annual funding from the city to help promote tourism in the city.