TRAVEL MANITOBA
ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
Across Manitoba, tourism businesses are welcoming back visitors and seeing increased interest in their services and destinations. And yet, it is impossible to talk about tourism without talking about the impact of COVID-19. While it’s been felt in all sectors, the travel, tourism and hospitality industry was decimated by the outbreak, and continues to struggle. To put it in perspective, the impact on the tourism sector in Canada was more dire than the impact experienced after 9/11, SARS, and the 2008 economic crisis combined. In Manitoba, lost hospitality jobs account for almost half of all lost jobs during the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, the tourism industry was on track to achieve annual revenues of $2.2 billion by 2022. At that time, the industry supported close to 21,000 direct and indirect jobs, and tourism wages and direct spending contributed $649 million in tax revenues to the economy, money that went to support public priorities such as health care and education. Clearly, the province’s economy will not fully recover until the travel sector recovers. In an effort to mitigate losses felt by the tourism industry, Travel Manitoba launched new initiatives to aggressively market travel within the province. The award-winning Home Is Where the Heart Is campaign saw Manitobans travel safely within their own province. This year, our spring and summer campaigns will target local, national and international travellers, placing Manitoba top-of-mind for travel consideration among our target audiences.
The Manitoba Tourism Strategy, a collaboration of the Government of Manitoba, the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and Travel Manitoba, has a target to grow visitor spending by 50 per cent to reach $2.5 billion by 2030. The strategy has a bold vision for recovering and rebuilding the tourism industry and puts greater emphasis on destination management, elevating what makes Manitoba different to ensure Manitoba stands out as a must-visit four-season destination. New world-class demand generators like The Leaf - Canada’s Diversity Gardens, Qaumajuq, the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada and renewed attractions like the Manitoba Museum will solidify Manitoba’s reputation as a distinctive presence in the tourism marketplace. It will be critical to continue to develop Manitoba’s signature experiences, including key differentiators such as Manitoba’s unique wildlife viewing experiences, winter experiences, authentic Indigenous and Francophone experiences, and our outdoor experiences— in provincial parks and on the water. Tourism is a significant economic driver for Manitoba and it is imperative to find ways to foster collaboration amongst key stakeholders to generate innovative ideas and stimulate recovery from the pandemic. A whole-of-government approach to tourism is required, and businesses in the tourism industry need a common voice. Under the Manitoba Tourism Strategy, Travel Manitoba hopes to build support for, and awareness of, tourism’s ability to positively transform communities and enrich our quality of life.
Learn more at travelmanitoba.com
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