With more Canadians hoping to spend their vacation dollars within the country this summer, Saskatoon is exploring ways to make the city a tourism hotspot.
National Tourism Week takes place between April 7th and 11th. CEO of Discover Saskatoon Stephanie Clovechok says the week provides a great opportunity to highlight the importance of the tourism sector to Saskatoon’s economy, both directly and indirectly.
“Of course there are direct jobs related to tourism, but there are also the taxi drivers, the airplane mechanics, the folks that are fueling the behind-the-scenes of the sector. So, for us here in Saskatoon, it matters a lot to have a fully deployed and well-resourced visitor economy, ” explains Clovechok.
In 2024, Saskatoon earnings made up for 20.33 per cent of Saskatchewan’s total visitor economy, making the city the single largest contributor. Also last year, tourism spending was up from pre-pandemic levels of $651.3 million in 2019 and injected over $800 million into Saskatoon’s economy. Over $200 million of that came from international travelers.
“The visitation that we see to Saskatoon is predominantly coming from in Canada. What we are seeing though, from last year’s numbers, is that we’re really excited to see the growth of the international market. That’s something that we’ve really been working to rebuild post-pandemic.”
Clovechok attributes the rise in international visitation to the city’s numerous business and sporting events.
This uptick in international travel could continue in years to come, as Discover Saskatoon is exploring ways to attract more international travel to the city. For example, one of their representatives is in Saudi Arabia pitching Saskatoon as the location for an international nuclear medicine conference.
“The role of a tourism organization couldn’t be more critical right now…If you think about the way that you plan travel, is Saskatoon the place that comes to mind first for a Canadian traveler? If not, how are they going to learn about us?”
Her advice for Saskatoon businesses that are thinking about diversifying their revenue streams is to enter the tourism sector by creating experiences for customers and inviting them into their business.
Before Tourism Week wraps up, she reminds the public to check out DiscoverSaskatoon.com’s event page, as well as get outside and enjoy this warm weather.
