Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen announced today that the provincial government has partnered with Travel Manitoba and the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce to launch a new Provincial Tourism Strategy aimed at increasing tourist expenditures to $2.2 billion by 2022.

The news release states: ‘This Provincial Tourism Strategy sets a long-term roadmap that includes a vision, goals and key strategic initiatives for Manitoba’s tourism industry and its stakeholders.

It is an ongoing platform that will be used to incorporate the vision that is laid out for Manitoba. It will be the foundation for future engagement and collaboration, continuous economic development and tourism business development, and support the growth of a new competitive advantage for the Province.’

The new Tourism Strategy states the following Vision for the Province: ‘Manitoba is a must-visit four-season destination generating significant & sustainable economic growth by delivering inspiring & authentic experiences in its unique urban, rural and wild settings.’

“There is significant demand for the types of travel experiences Manitoba can offer, including northern and Indigenous tourism, and world-class water-based experiences such as fishing, paddling and lakeside recreation,” said Pedersen. “The strategy provides us with a roadmap to capitalize on these opportunities by setting clear goals and working together to position Manitoba as a unique and vibrant four-season destination.”

A series of goals and initiatives were designed for the Provincial Tourism Strategy to support the delivery of Manitoba’s future vision. Each of the following goals has a corresponding set of actions that directly address the gaps or leverage key opportunities in all goal categories.

The Provincial Tourism Strategy identifies the following five goals for the sector:

• continuing to market and promote Manitoba through branding initiatives;
• investing in destination and experience development;
• improving transportation and mobile connectivity;
• fostering collaboration among all stakeholders; and
• building public support for tourism.

“We’re very proud of the accomplishments made to date, and we’re excited by the opportunity to reach our goal to increase tourism visitation expenditures to $2.2 billion by 2022,” said Colin Ferguson, president and CEO, Travel Manitoba. “Our strategy will fuel that growth by ensuring all key stakeholders have a clear vision for the future.”

Ferguson noted the strategy is based on extensive consultations with industry and supported by a steering committee, measurement and monitoring system, and regular opportunities for stakeholder feedback.

“Manitoba has a professional, passionate and dedicated tourism industry, and this strategy will lead to tourism becoming an even greater economic driver for the province than it is today,” said Chuck Davidson, president and CEO, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.

The minister confirmed the Provincial Tourism Strategy is the second sector strategy under the recently announced Economic Growth Action Plan. In their report, Growing Manitoba’s Economy, co-chairs Dave Angus and Barb Gamey recommended the development of targeted sector strategies as a priority to foster competitiveness, facilitate growth, identify investment opportunities and address economic barriers in the province.

Chuck Davidson says the Economic Growth Action Plan works together with the new Tourism Strategy to encourage businesses to be a strong voice in their community, to build a stronger community.

He stresses the importance of building a stronger, more well-informed, community through the local Chamber of Commerce, which will indirectly develop tourism to that area through mutual support between local businesses and sharing a shared vision and direction.

“The Economic Growth Action Plan is something that will be rolled out in the next 6 weeks to 2 months, but it is something that we’ll be able to connect more with local communities for them to really develop those strong value propositions in terms of what they have to offer from an economic development perspective, and also to have resources to help them as well to make sure that we’re doing everything possible to have strong communities throughout the province.”

Manitoba’s tourism sector contributes more than three percent to the province’s GDP and expects to see a 19 percent increase in visitors by 2022, attracting 12.6 million local, national and international visitors, up from 10.6 million visitors in 2016.

View the Provincial Tourism Strategy at:
www.travelmanitoba.com/tourism-industry/industry-resources/provincial-tourism-strategy/.