The Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed May 23-29 as Saskatchewan Tourism Week.

The week, which coincides with the national celebration of Tourism Week in Canada, will be a time to inspire Saskatchewan residents to make nearby discoveries, support local businesses and model safe practices to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

At the same time, Saskatchewan Tourism Week is an opportunity to communicate the importance of planning for industry recovery, building a resilient tourism sector and preparing for the return of visitors.

Throughout the week, Tourism Saskatchewan will be releasing a series of videos on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter channels. These stories will showcase the resilience of operators and how they have pivoted during the COVID-19 pandemic; highlight the importance of shopping local as a way to support industry recovery; and encourage residents to make new discoveries in their own backyard this summer.

Tourism industry operators and stakeholders will be invited to share this content on their social media channels and websites. They can also post videos and images of their own operations/customers, using the hashtags #SKTourismWeek and #ExploreSask. Sharing content assists in amplifying the Saskatchewan tourism message to a wider audience, ensuring that travel within our province is top of mind for residents.

Click below to view the news release for Saskatchewan Tourism Week:

Saskatchewan Tourism Industry Embarks on the Road to Recovery

Tourism, in Saskatchewan and worldwide, has been hard hit by COVID-19. In 2020, the pandemic posed an unprecedented challenge to the global tourism industry.

Pre-pandemic, Canada’s travel economy was valued at $105 billion, according to the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. In 2019, tourism was Canada’s largest service export, representing $23.1 billion in international visitor spending. The industry employed 1.8 million Canadians.

In 2019, tourism spending in Saskatchewan reached $2.17 billion. There were 11.82 million visits made to and within the province that year. Tourism-related employment hit 71,100, making up 12 per cent of Saskatchewan’s total labour force.

Estimates for 2020 show that spending dropped to $1.17 billion and the province saw 7.07 million visits to and within its borders. Employment declined 30 per cent over the previous year, with roughly 49,800 people employed in the tourism sector in August 2020.

Looking ahead, the industry will start to see signs of recovery toward the fall of 2021, corresponding with widespread vaccine distribution. There is optimism with $1.71 billion in tourism spending and 9.42 million visits forecast for Saskatchewan in 2021.

However, full recovery to pre-pandemic levels is not expected until 2023.