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Photo by Ross Lavigne
COVID 19 impacts tourism revenue

Falling tourism revenue prompts Canadian Badlands to consider way forward

Oct 14, 2020 | 11:30 AM

WHEATLAND COUNTY, AB. — The impact of COVID 19 on the tourism industry has prompted the Canadian Badlands Tourism group to hire a consultant to help develop a vision going forward.

The towns and municipalities that help fund Canadian Badlands have been impacted by the loss of tourism revenue, and the group itself is now functioning without paid managers or staff.

President Donna Biggar says the challenge going forward is developing a vision for the Badlands while keeping the stakeholders in mind.

“We have the Canadian Rockies; Alberta needs the Canadian Badlands to become a good force for when things look better and we need that, as a big group, that advocacy is important too. But I do understand the municipalities and villages and towns and cities their struggles” says Biggar.

She says the first step in the process is evaluating how much members and stakeholders are able to contribute in support of Canadian Badlands then developing a new vision and mandate.

Biggar hopes they’ll have answers in six months or so.

Twenty31 Consulting, the same firm that helped Travel Alberta develop it’s ten year plan prior to COVID 19, has been hired to do the study.