CHAT File Photo

By Gates Guarin

Summer a boon for Medicine Hat tourism and hospitality industries

Sep 2, 2022 | 4:03 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Medicine Hat truly earned its moniker of the sunniest city in Canada this summer. The weather and abundance of tourist attractions was a boon to both the tourism and hospitality industries here in the city.

Jace Anderson, executive director for Tourism Medicine Hat, says this summer had quite the rebound from years prior.

“Earlier in the season, we started to see a sharp increase in the online reads of our experience guide, and by June of this year, we already had more people who had downloaded or read our online experience guide than who had in all of 2021,” Anderson says. “And so that’s an increase in interest, an increase in our opportunity to tell our community and brand’s story, and that’s really encouraging.”

Anderson says initial data has been promising, and he has heard positive feedback from visitors taking advantage of the city’s trails, breweries and downtown core over the course of the summer.

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The hotel business has also seen a jump, with July and August bookings reaching its highest point since 2020, but have not quite hit levels seen in 2019.

Elisha Ammann, executive director for Medicine Hat Accommodation Association, says while she has seen a resurgence in travellers from Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the United States, most suites being booked have been because of the construction industry, with project workers staying at city hotels for weeks at a time.

Ammann expects this trend to continue into the fall season, but with even more variety in those booking hotel rooms.

“Everybody is very excited to travel again with their kids and do their sports, which is a big thing for Medicine Hat for sure, is all those sporting events,” Ammann says. “Those construction projects, with those workers staying during the week…now we’re not just going to have that weekend traffic, but weekday traffic as well, which is awesome.”

Ammann says she is optimistic about the future with the return of travellers, and hopes businesses see a strong comeback after struggling for the last few years.