(Tourism Red Deer)

By Sheldon Spackman

Tourism Red Deer

Celebrating ‘local’ for World Tourism Day

Sep 25, 2020 | 9:27 AM

World Tourism Day is coming up Sunday and officials with Tourism Red Deer are hoping Red Deerians will find a way to celebrate it.

Rene Rondeau, Executive Director at Tourism Red Deer, says central Albertans have a wide-array of amenities and services to choose from while supporting the local economy and tourism industry.

“We have hotels, restaurants, operators, and lots of businesses that are tourism-based,” he explains. “So our job as Tourism Red Deer is to remind people that there are things in their own backyard or just down the road in another community that has things to do and places to visit. Maybe go to a restaurant you haven’t been to before, that’s the reminder to me.”

According to Travel Alberta, World Tourism Day is the perfect time to shine a spotlight on tourism and remind the world of the sector’s significant contribution to the global economy.

The organization is recognizing World Tourism Day by highlighting the economic value of tourism for Alberta, and the work being done with tourism partners in every corner of the province to rebuild the industry, support community recovery, and spur job creation.

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Rondeau admits that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the local economy and tourism industry.

“We know the Black Knight Inn has shut its doors, we’ve seen Tony Roma’s shut its doors,” he points out. “There’s a lot of places, including Westerner Park and hoteliers that are waiting for business to come through their doors again, the events. Because events are not happening, hoteliers can’t book rooms, and restaurants can’t see as many people, so they’re being forced to see their employees being laid off too.”

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials with Travel Alberta say the province’s tourism industry generated $8.9 billion in revenue, supporting 22,000 businesses, and generating nearly 73,000 jobs in communities throughout the province. Currently, traveller spending to Alberta is forecast to fall to $3.5 billion in 2020—a 63 per cent drop compared to 2019—and an estimated 30,000 jobs lost.

With Red Deer having a strong track record of hosting both national and international events and being a sport tourism destination, Rondeau further points out the impact of closed borders and reduced inter-provincial travel during the pandemic.

“We have to be very patient and understanding of what’s going on,” he remarks. “The sooner we follow those rules, the sooner we can get out of this thing. But at the same time, when you’re relying on people to come here from other places, and we can’t host those events, and we can’t open our doors to thousands of people, that’s why we’re promoting local tourism.”

Officials with Travel Alberta say it will be a long road ahead to restore the province’s visitor economy to 2019 levels.

But if this past summer is any indication, tourism partners across Alberta are said to be unwavering in their determination to work together and rebuild tourism in the province.

“They’re (Alberta tourism-related businesses) doing what they can to keep these places open and changing a bit of their operations to help accommodate the circumstances,” says Rondeau. “So please be patient and go and enjoy it. Try to help them out.”