By Glenn Hicks

Tourism bolstered by visitors exploring their own neck of the woods

Jul 24, 2018 | 2:00 PM

Our area’s tourism hot spots appear to be in line with Stats Canada figures showing a near 10 per cent jump in visitation in Saskatchewan.

Visits to and within the province by Canadians increased by 9.4 per cent from 2016. According to the provincial government this placed Saskatchewan “well ahead of the nation’s overall growth rate of 2.1 per cent.” Visitor expenditures jumped 10.4 per cent, with Canadian visitors, including those travelling within the province, spending $1.88 billion in 2017. The province said the growth in the tourism sector was in part down to Canadians “discovering what we in Saskatchewan have always known” about the abundance of attractions and diverse scenery.

While she didn’t have official visitation figures year-over-year Judy Hanke, the manager at the tourism centre in La Ronge said she’d noticed a clear uptick.

“I’m seeing more tourists in and around the area than I’ve certainly ever seen,” she told paNOW. Hanke attributed the increase to signs the economy was improving, the weaker Canadian dollar versus the US currency, and a desire by people to explore further afield from the more established attractions.

“I do believe the North is coming out of its shell and people are discovering it,” she said. “I had a call from folks in Montana today and they’re so excited to be coming on a canoe trip. People are realizing there is so much more to Saskatchewan past Waskesiu… we’re not just prairie.”

Missing pet

'She means the world to our family': Woman seeks help in finding missing pet parrot

19h ago

BE CAREFUL ON THE ROADS

Semi flips outside P.A.; one of dozens of incidents on Sask. roads due to winter weather

19h ago

NO GO FOR BUSES

School bus routes outside P.A. canceled due to spring snowstorm

Apr 18, 2024

Meanwhile visitation to the Prince Albert National Park in 2017 was even higher than the percentage reflected in the overall provincial figures.

Numbers supplied to paNOW showed a 16 per cent increase in the park during their peak May to September season last year and a 13 per cent spurt for the whole year.

However, 2018 figures so far showed a decline of seven per cent from those 2017 numbers. The national park said there were a variety of factors that might influence that including the weather, but there was a lot of summer still ahead with many large-scale events. Those include Waskesiu marina’s Three Island Paddle and Music Festival July,28 and three key events in August: the museum’s Heritage Day, Frank Dunn Triathlon and Waskesiu Lakeside Music Festival.

Another popular tourism drawcard in our wider region is fishing and the Jan Lake Lodge has noticed an increase in their numbers.

Rieann Decae told paNOW that she was around 10 per cent up this year compared to last.

“I think perhaps it’s the economy improving because about 80 to 85 per cent of our guests are from within the province,” she said.

That desire to explore more of what’s on the doorstep appears to be holding true for many locals.

Our poll question on paNOW asked if people were planning to leave the province for their summer vacation. Most said “no.”

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow