s a s k a t c h e w a n

GoingPlaces s a s k a t c h e w a n s t o u r i s m i n d u s t r y n e w s l e t t e r SUMMER 2013 2 t o uri sm sa sk A t C h e wa n w elcom es n e w e xe Cu tive di rec t o r o f m Ar k e tin g A n d C om m un i CA tio n s 4 8 14 n A t i on A l t our i s m l e A d e r s t A l k t o ur i sm d u r i n g S a S k at c h e wa n to u r i S m w e e k i n to u C h wi t h t h e P r o v in C e C o mm u nity AC tion P lan d evelop ed for y o rk t on

2 table of contents G O I N G P L A C E S is published under the direction of Tourism Saskatchewan s Board of Directors. Please send comments or inquiries to: E D I T O R Regan Mathiason Tourism Saskatchewan 189-1621 Albert Street Regina, Saskatchewan Canada S4P 2S5 Phone: 306-787-7815 Fax: 306-787-6293 Email: regan.mathiason@sasktourism.com Articles may be reprinted with permission. C OV E R I M A G E Waskesiu Lake Greg Huszar Photography tourism saskatchewan welcomes new executive director of marketing and Communications...2 message from the Ceo...3 strategic Planning nears completion...3 national tourism leaders talk tourism during saskatchewan tourism week...4 saskatchewan tourism week celebrated across the province...4 message from the Chair...5 snap it! the great saskatchewan Photo Contest launched during saskatchewan tourism week...5 tourism sector honoured at saskatchewan tourism Awards of excellence...6 mark your calendars for the tourism saskatchewan golf Classic september 10...7 date set for host saskatchewan Conference...7 in touch with the Province...8 selling saskatchewan...10 tourism trends...12 Around the Province...13 in development...14 stec news...15 roger Brooks highlight of tourism saskatchewan spring workshop...16 Culture days in saskatchewan all summer long!...16 saskatchewanderer discovers food, fashion and wild ponies in home province...17 saskatchewan Provincial Parks gearing up for a great summer...17 interactive insights...18 here and there...19 mark your Calendar...20 BOOKMARK INDUSTRY MATTERS Our dedicated industry website, industrymatters.com, is your one-stop site for the latest news and information from Tourism Saskatchewan and the province s tourism sector. You will find recent statistics, upcoming events and articles on issues currently affecting our industry. Bookmark industrymatters.com and visit often! tourism saskatchewan welcomes new executive director of marketing And CommuniCAtions Mary Taylor-Ash mary taylor-ash joined tourism saskatchewan in the position of executive director of marketing and Communications on may 6. she brings to the organization knowledge and experience acquired through more than 25 years in the tourism industry, working in the private, not-for-profit and public sectors. since 2006, taylor-ash was the Assistant deputy minister of tourism in newfoundland and labrador, where she was responsible for tourism marketing, product development and tourism research. she oversaw the development and implementation of one of the most successful marketing campaigns in the country. the renowned Find Yourself campaign has garnered over 180 awards regionally, nationally and internationally. she was also responsible for establishing an industry/government steering committee that developed a 10-year tourism vision for newfoundland and labrador, with a private/public sector tourism board created to bring this vision to fruition. taylor-ash earned Bachelor of Arts (honours) and Bachelor of education degrees from memorial university of newfoundland. in 2001, she was awarded the golden umbrella Award by the tourism industry Association of newfoundland and labrador for her overall contribution to the development of tourism in the province. tourism saskatchewan has gained a valuable addition to our team. we are delighted to welcome our new colleague, and are grateful that she has chosen to share her gifts with our organization and with the province, Pat fiacco, Ceo of tourism saskatchewan, said. saskatchewan people are incredible, taylor-ash said. everywhere i go, they are so warm and welcoming. with so much happening in this province, it is a very exciting time to be here. speaking to the challenges of her new role, she said, we need to raise awareness of this province as a great travel destination and we have to ensure we are delivering the quality of experiences that visitors need. i am looking forward to working with the tourism industry on these objectives. G O I N G P L A C E S Summer 2013

MESSagE from the ceo 3 A few months ago, i expressed to colleagues my desire to get better acquainted with the people who are the pulse of our industry. A tour of duty was suggested. understandably, the demands of my schedule at the office made planning the itinerary interesting. mother nature, too, made sure that i fully appreciated the winter experience, despite the fact that, according to the calendar, it was spring. great food at the star Café & grill in maple Creek, terrific hospitality at historic reesor ranch and a productive meeting with the Cypress hills destination Area were day one highlights on my brief journey through the southwest. innovation and thinking outside-ofthe-box are transforming the area and the enthusiasm in this part of the province is motivating. despite snow on the ground, the atmosphere at Cypress hills vineyard & winery was warm and inviting. on the trip back to regina, by way of eastend, gravelbourg, limerick and Assiniboia, there was more delicious food and great people, along with impressive art, architecture and cultural experiences. venturing off of the trans- Canada highway certainly leads travellers to some amazing discoveries. Community spirit and pride were evident at north Battleford s centennial Gala, which i had the pleasure of attending on may 1. i gained new knowledge and appreciation of saskatchewan s fascinating history during my visit to the Battlefords, and i enjoyed meeting with stakeholders and discussing opportunities to work together and bring more profile and travellers to the area. later that month, i spent three eventful days touring parts of the southeast. my new colleague, mary taylor-ash, executive director of marketing and Communications, had been on the job for one week and was barely unpacked. But what better way for her to explore her new home. the warm welcome that we received in weyburn, estevan, indian head, wolseley and points in between was greatly appreciated. there was certainly more to see and do than time permitted and i am anxious to return and become further acquainted with communities and with tourism operators and businesses in southern saskatchewan. heading north for a full week of activities and meetings in June, i was struck by the changes in the landscape and the beauty and serenity of the areas to which i travelled. Participating in the kick-off to the nipawin Pike festival was great fun. Catching my first fish was a moment that i will not forget. A three-hour trek through the boreal forest on horseback was another adventure. what else? wading in the waskesiu river and learning about its ecosystem, overnighting in a yurt, watching bald eagles soar overhead, sighting black bear along the roadside, not once, but three times! experiences like these trigger profound responses. it is therapy that i highly recommend. in every community that i visited, saskatchewan hospitality and tremendous passion for this great province were clearly evident. despite clocking 5,000 kilometres on my vehicle, i know that i have only seen a fraction of what saskatchewan has to offer. i look forward to continuing my tour of duty in the months ahead. Pat Fiacco StRatEgic Planning nears completion in January, tourism saskatchewan contracted the tourism Planning group to lead its corporate strategic planning process. the firm is recognized for its work in assisting tourism organizations and destinations in the areas of strategic planning, product development, training and organizational structure. lead consultant Jennifer houiellebecq began working with tourism saskatchewan in february. A two-day session with the Board of directors and executive leadership team was followed by extensive consultations with stakeholders, including city, community and rural destination marketing organizations (dmos), industry associations and a cross-section of operators. A mix of face-to-face meetings and discussions via telephone and e-mail yielded valuable insights for consideration. information was also gathered from industry through an online survey, distributed by tourism saskatchewan to more than 2,500 tourism operators. feedback was provided on marketing activities, plans for capital investments or new development, current industry challenges and awareness of tourism saskatchewan s roles and activities. through to the year 2020. once completed, a framework will be in place for developing a rolling business plan. A Phase one report was submitted to tourism saskatchewan in march, stating the following: the process of developing this road map and business plan not only provides a context for internal review and assessment of the organization, but it also presents an opportunity to consult with industry and to build a stronger platform for a collaborative approach to growing the tourism economy in the province. more planning sessions were held in April and may, and involved the executive leadership team and senior managers. once a final report is submitted, tourism saskatchewan will proceed with the next steps of drafting a business plan and communicating with industry its plans for the future. the strategic planning process focuses on establishing a long-term direction and priorities for the treasury Board Crown Corporation, Summer 2013 G O I N G P L A C E S

4 national tourism leaders talk tourism during SaSkatchEwan tourism week in cooperation with tourism saskatchewan, the tourism industry Association of Canada (tiac) and the Canadian tourism Commission (CtC) jointly hosted an open forum on the state of Canada s tourism industry in a town hallstyle meeting in regina on June 11. more than 50 tourism operators and stakeholders from across the province participated in the interactive half-day session. featured presenters david goldstein, tiac s President and Chief executive officer, and Paul nursey, CtC s vice President of strategy management and Corporate Communications, provided tourism stakeholders with unparalleled insight on how tiac and the CtC are working to grow Canada s visitor economy. the open forum also provided a unique opportunity for participants to discuss their concerns and share ideas on how to make Canada s tourism industry more competitive. the session covered a broad range of travel and tourism topics, including domestic policy challenges, international travel trends, export readiness and national marketing strategy. the town hall format provided the chance for tourism representatives in saskatchewan to have their voices heard. the day concluded with a networking luncheon sponsored by tourism saskatchewan, followed by greetings from minister responsible for tourism saskatchewan tim mcmillan and tourism saskatchewan Chief executive officer Pat fiacco. Part of a country-wide series of town hall meetings, the event was held in conjunction with Saskatchewan tourism week. David Goldstein, President and Chief Executive Officer, TIAC SaSkatchewan tourism week CeleBrAted ACross the ProvinCe Flag-raising ceremony in Prince Albert from June 9-15, communities throughout saskatchewan celebrated Saskatchewan tourism week with public barbeques, community tours, flag-raising ceremonies, open houses, contests and promotions. more than 30 events were held across the province during the week that was officially proclaimed by the government of saskatchewan. Part of a broader national initiative called tourism week in canada, which brings attention to the economic opportunities available to Canada through travel and tourism, Saskatchewan tourism week broadens awareness about the importance of tourism in this province. in the north, a community barbeque was held at the lac la ronge and Area visitor information Centre on June 9. the centre also hosted an open house throughout the week and offered free cake and refreshments on June 15. A flag-raising ceremony at the Prince Albert visitor Centre kicked off Saskatchewan tourism week on June 10. more than 130 people enjoyed lunch at a barbeque on June 11, and free cake and refreshments were served at the centre on June 14. G O I N G P L A C E S Summer 2013 in the west central area, Saskatchewan tourism week flags were raised at ceremonies in north Battleford and Battleford on June 10. Also in north Battleford, a reception, hosted by the Battlefords tourism and Convention Association, was held on June 12 to recognize deserving tourism ambassadors. the week culminated with the grand opening of the new office at the Batoche métis Cultural site (home of Back to Batoche days) on June 15. from watrous to melville, the east central area was buzzing with activity. Approximately 125 people attended the annual Saskatchewan tourism week barbeque on June 12 in watrous. the watrous manitou marketing group partnered with the watrous and Area Arts Council for the event. six local musicians played for the crowd. on June 12, in honour of Brent Butt, the tisdale Chamber of Commerce held a chilli cheese dog barbeque at the town square. more than 150 people attended the event. near melfort, the tonderosa ranch guest house held an open house throughout the week, and a community picnic was held in hudson Bay on June 14. the city of melville played host to a number of events and activities throughout the week. An open house and barbeque at the melville tourism Centre kicked off Saskatchewan tourism week on June 10. the event also featured solar gazing with James edgar. that evening, there was free family golf at the melville golf and Country Club. museum tours and free swimming, batting cages and fishing rounded out the week s activities. An open house was held at the tourism yorkton visitor Centre on June 12. that afternoon, tourism yorkton hosted a get on the Bus familiarization tour that took participants to all of yorkton s attractions. on June 14, Pat fiacco, tourism saskatchewan s Ceo, was a guest speaker at a luncheon hosted by the yorkton Chamber of Commerce. tourism saskatoon celebrated Saskatchewan tourism week with a friendly invasion of regina. the saskatoon summer experience team was in the provincial capital from June 10-13 handing out festival passes, concert tickets, golf passes and many other prizes. while the saskatoon summer experience team visited regina, travel media from across the country took over saskatoon for the 2013 travel media Association of Canada (tmac) Conference and Annual general meeting from June 12-15. in conjunction with the tmac Conference, tourism regina hosted 18 travel media writers from June 9-12. during the pre-conference tours, the writers experienced everything from rcmp boot camp to a hutterite farm tour to a culinary breakfast with gold medal Plates winner milton rebello. Also part of the week-long celebrations, tourism regina encouraged visitors and residents to discover and explore regina s unique tourism experiences that include an orchard tour, museum exhibits, farmers market, music festivals, sporting events and local dining spots and watering holes. once again, Saskatchewan tourism week successfully promoted the province s tourism sector one that saw $2 billion in traveller expenditures and more than 11.9 million visits to and within saskatchewan in 2011. Approximately 57,300 residents are employed in tourism or tourism-related jobs.

MESSagE from the chair 5 on behalf of the Board of directors, i am delighted to offer a warm welcome to mary taylor-ash, who joined the organization in may. mary brings a wealth of experience to the role of executive director of marketing and Communications. she will be a terrific asset to tourism saskatchewan. on April 25, i had the distinct pleasure of participating in the 24th annual Saskatchewan tourism awards of excellence Gala. this was a proud night for the tourism sector, as stakeholders gathered from across the province to honour their peers whose work in 2012 was exceptional. the range of tourism businesses and experiences among the finalists was impressive. it was encouraging to see a mix of young entrepreneurs and industry veterans. A sense of camaraderie and respect filled the room. new operators acknowledged mentors who provided inspiration for their endeavours. established leaders in the industry recognized the spirit of innovation that is driving new businesses and successful marketing campaigns, and reaching travellers through social media and non-traditional channels. more recently, celebrations in regina and saskatoon honoured members of our workforce, as well as businesses committed to best practices and employee professional development. tourism saskatchewan and the saskatchewan tourism education Council (stec) hosted the annual tourism Professional recognition Dinners on June 17 in saskatoon and June 19 in regina. this was a special year as 2013 marked their 20th anniversary. in that time, stec has helped more than 4,000 individuals achieve certification in a tourism occupation. the number of certified tourism professions has risen dramatically in that time, bringing our sector up to a level of professionalism and respect that is recognized worldwide. the tourism Professional recognition Dinners came on the heels of Saskatchewan tourism week, a busy time for tourism saskatchewan staff and for businesses and communities throughout the province that organized festivities. it was certainly a privilege to have representatives of the tourism industry Association of Canada (tiac) and the Canadian tourism Commission (CtC) in regina that week for a stop that was part of a country-wide series of town hall meetings. Judging from the media exposure and the accounts of our guests from tiac, the CtC and industry, the meeting was a success on many levels. the Board of directors looks forward to hosting friends and industry colleagues at the tourism Saskatchewan Golf classic on september 10 at the harbor golf Club & resort in elbow. it will be a great opportunity to network, share ideas and enjoy the outdoors. Jack Brodsky SnaP it! the Great SaSkatchewan Photo contest launched during SaSkatchewan tourism week tourism saskatchewan s 12th annual Snap it! the Great Saskatchewan Photo contest is officially underway. the contest was launched during Saskatchewan tourism week. Amateur and professional photographers are encouraged to submit images that capture the wonders of saskatchewan its natural splendour, unique attractions, colourful events and the remarkable spirit of its people and communities! there are seven categories to enter: saskatchewan People Photos that reflect the character and spirit of saskatchewan people. (no studio photography) nature in saskatchewan Photos of flora and fauna in natural habitat. Prairie scenic scenic photos from prairie regions of saskatchewan, including traditional scenes, as well as hidden prairie treasures, such as the Qu Appelle valley, hills and badlands and features not typically categorized as prairie. woods and water scenic photos reflecting parkland, boreal forest and/or lake settings. my saskatchewan Vacation Photos of people having fun during their saskatchewan vacation. images may capture adventure, recreation, relaxation or celebration at a favourite attraction, event or destination in saskatchewan. urban life images that portray the excitement, sophistication and spirit of our saskatchewan cities and towns. Photos can also feature events and attractions you experience while visiting our urban playgrounds. Provincial Parks Photos of your most treasured memories that took place in a saskatchewan provincial park. the prize-winning photographer in each category will receive a $250 gift certificate for don s Photo. the grand Prize winner, selected from the seven category winners, will receive an additional $250 don s Photo gift certificate. there will also be five honourable mention prizes in each category. for complete contest rules and to submit your entry, visit tourismsaskatchewan.com/snapit or call tourism saskatchewan toll-free at 1-877-237-2273. the deadline for entries is september 30, 2013. Summer 2013 G O I N G P L A C E S

6 tourism sector honoured At saskatchewan tourism AwArds of excellence saskatchewan s tourism sector honoured businesses and individuals at the 24th annual Saskatchewan tourism awards of excellence Gala, which was celebrated in regina on April 25 at the Conexus Arts Centre. more than 250 tourism stakeholders from across the province gathered for the celebration, which acknowledges the achievement of excellence within the tourism sector. it is a distinct pleasure for tourism saskatchewan to host this annual showcase of our sector. the Saskatchewan tourism awards of excellence shine a spotlight on some of the province s most innovative and visionary tourism entrepreneurs, and on businesses and attractions that experienced tremendous success in 2012, Pat fiacco, Ceo of tourism saskatchewan, said. At the heart of the awards celebration are the people in tourism, whose spirit, dedication and commitment to great service translate into remarkable experiences for our visitors. tourism saskatchewan extends congratulations to all of the recipients and nominees. A 12-person tourism sector committee selected the 42 finalists and 14 award recipients from more than 110 nominations. the Chairman s lifetime Achievement Award recipient was selected by Jack Brodsky, Chair of tourism saskatchewan s Board of directors. the winners of the Saskatchewan tourism awards of excellence for 2012 are: BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD (Over 50 Full-time Employees) Sponsored by The Western Producer Mosaic Place, Moose Jaw (Left to right): Scott Clark (Mosaic Place), Neal Buettner (The Western Producer) GIL CARDUNER MARKETING AWARD (Budget Over $20,000) Sponsored by SaskTel Tourism Saskatoon Saskatoon is Calling, Saskatoon (Left to right): MLA Bill Hutchinson (SaskTel), Daryl Demoskoff (Tourism Saskatoon) BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD (Under 50 Full-time Employees) Sponsored by The Western Producer Shearwater River Cruises, Saskatoon (Left to right): Joan Steckhan and Mike Steckhan (Shearwater River Cruises), Neal Buettner (The Western Producer) GIL CARDUNER MARKETING AWARD (Budget Under $20,000) Sponsored by SaskTel Tourism Yorkton Where Good Things Happen, Yorkton (Left to right): MLA Bill Hutchinson (SaskTel), Randy Goulden (Tourism Yorkton) EVENT OF THE YEAR AWARD (Budget Over $20,000) Sponsored by The StarPhoenix/Leader-Post Canadian Western Agribition, Regina (Left to right): Marty Seymour, Erin Lawson, Elmer Eashappie (Canadian Western Agribition), Aaron Hackel (Leader-Post), Reed Andrew (Canadian Western Agribition) HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AWARD Sponsored by Transcontinental Printing CAA Saskatchewan (Left to right): Fred Titanich (CAA Saskatchewan), Norm Beug (Tourism Saskatchewan) EVENT OF THE YEAR AWARD (Budget Under $20,000) Sponsored by The StarPhoenix/Leader-Post Bazaart, Regina (Left to right): Jeremy Morgan (MacKenzie Art Gallery), Aaron Hackel (Leader-Post) LAND OF LIVING SKIES AWARD Sponsored by Saskatchewan Arts Board Sturgeon River Ranch, Big River (Left to right): Gord Vaadeland (Sturgeon River Ranch), Michelle Hunter (Saskatchewan Arts Board) FRED HEAL TOURISM AMBASSADOR AWARD Sponsored by Wanuskewin Heritage Park Jori Kirk, Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park (Left to right): Andrew McDonald (Wanuskewin Heritage Park), Jori Kirk (Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures) ONLINE MARKETING AWARD Sponsored by Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority Lloyd Lake Lodge, Lloyd Lake, Northern Saskatchewan (Left to right): Dez Uniat and Derrick Uniat (Lloyd Lake Lodge), Rob Bear (Painted Hand Casino) G O I N G P L A C E S Summer 2013

7 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD Sponsored by Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Lloyd Lake Lodge, Lloyd Lake, Northern Saskatchewan (Left to right): Dez Uniat and Derrick Uniat (Lloyd Lake Lodge), Fred Titanich (Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce) TRAVEL MEDIA AWARD Sponsored by Phoenix Group Bobbie Hasselbring Collection of Saskatchewanbased stories (realfoodtraveler.com, vacay.ca), Beavercreek, OR (Left to right): Wanda Posehn and Alison Fraser (Tourism Regina), Pam Klein (Phoenix Advertising) SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARD (Business) Sponsored by Casinos Regina and Moose Jaw Fir River Ranch, Hudson Bay (Left to right): Audrey Stauber and Perrie Pszmul (Fir River Ranch), George Reed (Casinos Regina and Moose Jaw) CHAIRMAN S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Sponsored by Tourism Saskatchewan Todd Brandt, Tourism Saskatoon, Saskatoon (Left to right): Todd Brandt (Tourism Saskatoon), Jack Brodsky (Tourism Saskatchewan) SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARD (Individual) Sponsored by Canalta Hotels Krista Berg, Cypress Hills Eco-Adventures, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park (Left to right): Krista Berg (Cypress Hills Eco- Adventures), Gary Hoffert (Canalta Hotels) Detailed information on each category winner is available at industrymatters.com. mark your calendars for the tourism SaSkatchEwan golf classic september 10 register now for the tourism Saskatchewan Golf classic being held at the scenic harbor golf Club & resort in elbow on september 10. located on the bluffs overlooking the north end of lake diefenbaker, harbor golf Club & resort offers a championship 18-hole course that is a perennial favourite of golfers of every skill level. this beautiful course takes you through stunning prairie landscape, wooded areas and open water. agenda 11 a.m. Shot gun start (teams of four, best ball format) 5 p.m. Post-tournament BBQ steak dinner and prize presentations the cost is $79 per golfer and includes green fees, cart rental, prizes and dinner. to register, go to steconlinelearning.com/events. sponsorship opportunities are available! Contact nancy hubenig at 306-787-9844 or nancy.hubenig@sasktourism.com for more information. Harbor Golf Club & Resort, Elbow date set for host SaSkatchEwan conference the 2013 host Saskatchewan conference will take place on december 9-10 in regina at the delta regina hotel. the sixth annual conference will feature two eventful and informative days o f workshops and networking opportunities. the concurrent sessions and keynote addresses planned for the conference will be delivered by industry experts. Confirmed keynote speakers include: Jori kirk, President/Ceo and founder of Cypress hills eco-adventures (zipcypresshills.ca); and warren macdonald, the first double above-knee amputee to climb mt. kilimanjaro (warren-macdonald.com). watch for more information on this tourism saskatchewan event in the coming months. Summer 2013 G O I N G P L A C E S

8 in touch with the PRovincE tourism saskatchewan s Ceo Pat fiacco has been touring parts of the province and meeting with tourism operators and stakeholders. his road trip began on April 17, when he was invited to meet with the Board of directors and members of the Cypress hills destination Area, gathered for their spring forum. the event was an opportunity to speak to the importance of destination marketing organizations (dmos) and the benefits of pooling resources and working collaboratively to attract visitors to an area or community. the following stops completed the two-day itinerary: the star Café & grill, maple Creek Cypress hills vineyard & winery, maple Creek historic reesor ranch, Cypress hills t.rex discovery Centre, eastend Café de Paris, gravelbourg limerick hotel, limerick shurniak Art gallery, Assiniboia Battlefords tourism and Convention Association luncheon A week later, fiacco was back in the southwest, participating in the annual 49ᵒ x 110ᵒ spring Conference in swift Current. this event provided a valuable forum for meeting stakeholders and addressing some of their questions. on may 1, fiacco travelled to the Battlefords and attended the north Battleford centennial Gala that evening. the next day, he visited local attractions and facilities, including fort Battleford national historic site, Allen sapp gallery and the Cuplex, and was presented with an update on plans for a first nations heritage theme Park. Battlefords tourism and Convention Association sponsored a luncheon, after which he met with the new Board of directors. Before driving back to regina, he met with Battleford mayor derrick mahon and toured the north Battleford western development museum. on may 13, he set out for the southeast, taking with him new executive director of marketing and Communications mary taylor-ash. weyburn was the first stop, where an industry luncheon was hosted by tourism saskatchewan. the afternoon included visits to: tommy douglas Centre, weyburn soo line historical museum, weyburn turner Curling museum, weyburn weyburn innovation Centre weyburn golf Course nickle lake regional Park mainprize regional Park golf Course harbour view Bed and Breakfast, mainprize regional Park in estevan the next morning, visits were scheduled to spectra Place, estevan Art gallery and museum, hidden valley golf Club and rv resort, and woodlawn regional Park and the ts&m woodlawn golf Club. the afternoon agenda included an energy tour to the shand Power station, sheritt Coal Boundary dam mine and shand greenhouse. on may 15, fiacco travelled east to indian head for a brief town tour and visits to the indian head museum, rural sports hall of fame and Bell Barn. At noon, tourism saskatchewan hosted an industry luncheon. the afternoon was spent in wolseley where a walking tour provided insights into the town s history and its tourism resources. the next destination was the east central area. fiacco was present for the kickoff of the nipawin Pike festival on June 3 and took part in the annual nipawin media days. A whirlwind tour took him to: nipawin visitor reception Centre, nipawin nipawin & district regional Park marina macswaney s Cabins and lodge, nipawin & district regional Park Aurora houseboats, nipawin & district regional Park rolling Pines golf and Country resort, near nipawin resort village of tobin lake shorebird inn, tobin lake evergreen Convention Centre, nipawin northern greens resort, nipawin Before heading to melfort the next day, he met with nipawin town Council members and economic development personnel. the melfort Chamber of Commerce hosted a luncheon featuring fiacco as guest speaker, after which he met with local tourism stakeholders. A tour of the melfort visitor Centre, museum, campground, kerry vickar Centre, northern lights Palace and Creekside orchard, followed by a round of golf at the melfort golf and Country Club concluded the afternoon. travelling to Porcupine Plain the next day, fiacco met with the town Council, local economic development committee and representatives of the rural municipality of Porcupine no. 395. tourism saskatchewan hosted an industry luncheon at greenhills golf resort in greenwater Provincial Park. the day provided a great chance to meet stakeholders and become familiar with some of the tourism operations in this part of the province. the last chapter of the spring 2013 road trip took place in the north. fiacco met with the waskesiu wilderness region Board of directors in Big river on June 6. tours around the ness Creek and nesslin lake areas took place that afternoon, hosted by gord olson. A town hall reception for industry was held in the evening. two days of activities followed with stops at: sturgeon river ranch, Big river waskesiu river, Prince Albert national Park waskesiu marina Adventure Centre, Prince Albert national Park elk ridge resort lakeland Area sunset Bay resort, emma lake saskatchewan is a big province. fiacco is eager to see more of it in the months ahead. special thanks to tourism saskatchewan s field representatives Connie Ashworth, owen einsiedler, whitney Johnson, Corrina kapeller and Jacqueline watt for planning itineraries and liaising with operators and communities. G O I N G P L A C E S Summer 2013

9 Bell Barn, indian head tobin lake historic reesor ranch, Cypress hills nesslin lake waskesiu wilderness region meeting sheritt Coal Boundary dam mine, near estevan Summer 2013 GOINGPLACES

10 SElling SaSkatchEwan tourism Saskatchewan connects with overseas markets tourism saskatchewan attended rendez-vous canada in ottawa from may 13-15. this annual marketplace for overseas trade attracts 1,450 buyers and sellers for three days of appointments, networking and Canadian tourism Commission global updates. tourism saskatchewan conducted 84 appointments, primarily with buyers from german-speaking europe but also with buyers from the united kingdom, China, india and north America. saskatchewan partners were: tourism regina, tourism saskatoon, Canada nature escapes Cooperative, la reata ranch, rcmp heritage Centre and waskesiu wilderness region. RCMP Heritage Centre, Regina EvERy PictURE tells a StoRy there is no better way to communicate information about tourism events, attractions, experiences and facilities than through powerful photographs. in support of its marketing initiatives, tourism saskatchewan is always seeking new images for its image library. tourism saskatchewan acquires imagery in several ways, by either contracting photographers for specific shoots, purchasing existing images or by seeking imagery from the tourism industry. tourism saskatchewan provides access to its image library for approved tourism promotional image uses at no cost. Currently, the online library consists of approximately 3,000 viewable images. Tobin Lake G O I N G P L A C E S Summer 2013 help tourism saskatchewan this summer by getting out and capturing photos of special places in saskatchewan. while scenic shots are of interest, the best images for tourism marketing are those that show real people engaged in the moment, enjoying authentic experiences. you can also help by telling tourism saskatchewan about those quintessential settings you think would make great backdrops for professional photo shoots, as the organization is always on the lookout for the next great image. for more information about how you can access tourism saskatchewan s image library or how to submit your tourism images, please contact kelly harle, image library Coordinator, at 306-787-3018 or kelly.harle@sasktourism.com.

11 Media highlights canadian travel media wowed by Saskatchewan downpours and dark skies could not dampen the spirits of the media and industry professionals attending the travel media Association of Canada (tmac) Conference in saskatoon from June 12-15. tourism saskatoon and the local organizing committee are to be commended for hosting a memorable, jam-packed conference that opened many eyes to the beauty and potential of saskatchewan. while the conference was a resounding success, so to were the eight pre- and post-conference tours hosted by tourism saskatchewan and the two pre-tours hosted by tourism regina. in total, 55 media were hosted on the 10 tours. each itinerary was developed to be as experiential as possible, to provide media with first-hand knowledge of saskatchewan tourism products. from paddling the south saskatchewan river on a trails of 1885-themed journey, to navigating the rail cart portage enroute to grey owl s legendary Beaver lodge on Ajawaan lake, to living a day in the life of a new cadet at rcmp depot division, to fishing for lunch on lake diefenbaker, the experiences were authentic and gave media the opportunity to get their hands (and sometimes feet) dirty. while some may have been taken out of their comfort zones, the feedback received has been overwhelmingly favourable. i loved every minute mosquitoes, mud and mess of this terrific press trip, wrote one media member on the history and ecology of Prince albert national Park tour. A day of riding wasn t nearly enough, just enough to really want more and more, wrote another on the Saddle up and experience cowboy country tour to la reata ranch. the tours served to support tourism saskatoon s efforts to host this prestigious conference, and to fully realize the potential of having many of Canada s top-producing travel media in this province at one time. they provided the opportunity to show off some of saskatchewan s top destinations and attractions. with the help of many operators who went above and beyond the call of duty, these goals were accomplished. through the posts, stories and projects to come, the media will share their new adventures and memories of warm saskatchewan hospitality, inspiring new travellers to visit and experience the province for themselves. Top to bottom: La Reata Ranch; Boundary Bog Trail, Prince Albert National Park Summer 2013 GOINGPLACES

12 tourism trends Saskatchewan and alberta markets River Landing, Saskatoon Wakaw Lake Regional Park in 2011, saskatchewan residents made over 10 million visits within the province. Albertans made 851,000 visits to saskatchewan. of these visits by our own residents, 6.8 million were trips of less than 24 hours (same-day visits) and almost 3.3 million were for one or more nights in the province. Albertans made 148,000 visits of less than 24 hours and 703,000 for one or more nights. from both markets, the primary reason for the overnight or longer visit was visiting friends and/or relatives (vfr) (which can also be a vacation), followed by pleasure or vacation trips. Primary reason visit as Percentage of total overnight or longer visits from saskatchewan and Alberta 2011 for the southern areas of the province, regina is the main source market, followed by the area itself and saskatoon. for the central and northern areas, saskatoon provides the largest portion of visitors, again followed by the area itself. Alberta visitors overall are most likely to be visiting regina and saskatoon, which capture 46 per cent of Albertans overnight or longer visits to saskatchewan. the west central area is the next most popular, followed by the southwest and the north. the two major cities and the north capture the majority of pleasure visits. overall, the two major cities of Calgary and edmonton provide the majority of visits to saskatchewan, but pleasure visitors are more likely to come from smaller communities in Alberta. 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 5% 7% 5% 30% 54% 4% 7% 1% 22% 67% Personal Reasons Other Business Conference/ Convention Pleasure/ Vacation VFR who are they? more than three-quarters of visitors from both provinces are employed and have post-secondary diplomas, certificates or university degrees. the majority of visitors have household incomes over $70,000 and more than four in ten have household incomes over $100,000. overall, the balance is split between male or female visitors. however, those who travel to saskatchewan for pleasure reasons are more likely to be male. the average age of adult visitors is 42. overall, only 16-20 per cent have kids under 18 years of age on the trip. the average saskatchewan traveller has gone 196 kilometres from home, while the average Alberta visitor has travelled 543 kilometres. From Saskatchewan From Alberta seventy-four per cent of saskatchewan residents pleasure visits within the province were made between April and september as were 80 per cent of Alberta pleasure visits to saskatchewan. the majority of these occurred in July and August. where are they from? while the two major cities of regina and saskatoon combined capture 41 per cent of all overnight or longer trips made by saskatchewan residents within the province, they accounted for only 28 per cent of residents pleasure or vacation trips. the southeast area and the north combined capture 38 per cent of saskatchewan residents pleasure trips, primarily due to residents of regina making 40 per cent of their pleasure trips to the southeast area and 40 per cent of saskatoon residents making their pleasure trips to the north. the most popular activities for both saskatchewan residents and Albertans travelling in the province are: visiting a park (national, provincial or regional), going to the beach, boating, camping and fishing. those travelling for pleasure reasons are particularly likely to do these activities while visiting. overall, more than one in three visitors undertakes no activities while travelling in the province. the most popular accommodations for both saskatchewan residents and Alberta visitors are the homes of friends or relatives. for pleasure visitors, camping and staying in private cottages are also very common choices. Alberta visitors are significantly more likely than saskatchewan residents to choose commercial roofed accommodations, such as hotels, motels and commercial cottages and cabins. Source: 2011 travel Survey of residents of canada; Statistics Canada; as tabulated by Research Resolutions for Tourism Saskatchewan; 2013. G O I N G P L A C E S Summer 2013

13 around the PRovincE tourism Saskatchewan staff tour the province from may 26-June 1, tourism saskatchewan staff participated in familiarization (fam) tours across the province. the fam tours are very valuable as they allow staff to become more familiar with the various tourism operations and attractions in the province. Top left to right: Aurora Houseboats; Prince Albert National Park; Candle Lake Golf Resort. Bottom left to right: Dakota Dunes Casino; SkyTrail, Outlook; Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. thank you to the following operators, stakeholders, communities and parks that partnered with and welcomed tourism saskatchewan staff on the fam tours: dave Bjarnason, Buffalo Pound Provincial Park Craig krogan, Blackstrap Provincial Park Christian Boyle, dakota dunes Casino/dakota dunes golf links, whitecap dakota first nation Brian dressler, Pike lake Provincial Park russ mcpherson, town of outlook sue Baybikova, manitou springs hotel & mineral spa/sam s steakhouse, manitou Beach Joel Perry, danielson Provincial Park/douglas Provincial Park howard Janzen, Coteau Creek hydroelectric station Cam leslie, water security Agency/gardiner dam Judy Boyle, harbor golf Club & resort, elbow Palliser regional Park Joe Patrick, mainstay inn, riverhurst grace mctavish, sarah s Cove Condo rentals at harbour inn, elbow Carol Patterson, tom & June s Back home kitchen, elbow sheldon kowalchuk and Amy hamilton, saskatchewan landing Provincial Park lionel tootoosis, living sky Casino, swift Current heidi o Brodovich, yellow fender Coffee house and eatery, Christopher lake emma lake recreation site tyler Zolinski, elk ridge resort robyn hufnagel, Parks Canada/Prince Albert national Park waskesiu marina Adventure Centre, Prince Albert national Park rick rumberger, Candle lake golf resort tim verklan, evergreen Convention Centre/evergreen golf Course, nipawin lyle swaney, macswaney s Cabins & lodge, nipawin & district regional Park tressa moroz and Curtis lockwood, Aurora houseboats, nipawin & district regional Park Carrot river inn, Carrot river susan schroepfer, Pasquia regional Park maggie doerksen, town of Carrot river michael Brownlee, Christopher sallie and Josie Pickard, sprout eatery, Pasquia regional Park Pasquia regional Park golf Course greenwater Provincial Park wong s Café, Canora erin saunders, duck mountain Provincial Park dick deryk, duck mountain resort, duck mountain Provincial Park ken and Joanne maduck, windy Acres Bed & Breakfast, yorkton manos restaurant and lounge, yorkton good spirit Provincial Park Jennifer mann, tourism melville flamingo restaurant, melville su MMER 2013 GOINGPLACES

14 in development community action Plan developed for Yorkton Western Development Museum Deer Park Municipal Golf Course Gallagher Centre Water Park developed in consultation with tourism saskatchewan, tourism yorkton released the tourism Yorkton community action Plan in June. it identifies action steps in 10 key areas to improve, expand and create tourism experiences and attractions throughout the city over the next three years. Preparing the action plan was a positive, collaborative experience that brought a wide variety of businesses and organizations together to identify the strengths and weaknesses of tourism in the city and surrounding area. they identified opportunities to work together and discussed the role that tourism yorkton could most effectively play to fill gaps in tourism marketing, product and destination development. the overarching goal of the plan is to increase tourism revenues and visitation through managing and marketing the city as a tourism destination. the action plan has been set up as a tool that can be easily updated on an annual basis. the plan focuses on: annual events hosting, expanding upon local partnerships, maintaining a strong membership base, improving customer service, developing new experiences, further utilizing the tourism yorkton visitor Centre, marketing, modern technology, data collection and establishing a destination marketing fee. the majority of the action items corresponding to each of the key areas will become part of an annual work cycle and will need to be revisited, updated and refined on an annual basis. tourism yorkton looks forward to working with members and businesses as we work through the implementation of the tourism Yorkton community action Plan. As well, we appreciated the work and knowledge of the tourism saskatchewan industry development department as we moved through the planning process, randy goulden, tourism yorkton executive director, said. yorkton s tourism industry is an important economic driver for the region and comprises many attractions, events and accommodations throughout the city and surrounding area. the accommodations sector, in particular, experienced a massive boom this past spring, increasing hotel rooms by 40 per cent or 269 new rooms. tourism yorkton will continue to partner and work cooperatively with city-based marketing organizations, tourism saskatchewan, non-profit organizations and numerous consortiums to further the tourism offering in the area. many of the actions within the plan will be championed by tourism yorkton; however, partnerships with other organizations, communities and leaders will be an essential piece of the overall puzzle. for more information on tourism yorkton, visit tourismyorkton.com. the art of branding a community Roger Brooks on April 26, tourism saskatchewan s industry development department hosted a half-day workshop with roger Brooks titled the Art of Branding a Community. Brooks presentation demystified and explained the process of branding for umbrella organizations (multiple communities), cities, downtowns and marketing professionals. through case histories, video clips, dozens of photos and humorous stories, attendees learned step-by-step what it takes to create a successful brand. Approximately 40 individuals from 15 businesses, communities, destination areas and destination marketing organizations participated in the interactive, hands-on session. tourism saskatchewan performed a follow-up survey for feedback. here is what you said: good role for ts, to direct communities to help themselves. it was very good. he has a way of firing up your enthusiasm and he gives wonderful ideas on simple approaches. i think roger was able to connect with every community. he identified the challenges a community faces and had great solutions. G O I N G P L A C E S Summer 2013

15 StEc news 20th annual tourism ProFeSSional recognition DinnerS held in June saskatchewan s tourism sector honoured 81 new nationally certified tourism professionals and 23 apprentices who recently obtained Journeyperson status at the 20th annual tourism Professional recognition Dinners that were held on June 17 at Prairieland Park in saskatoon and on June 19 at the Conexus Arts Centre in regina. the dinners also acknowledged 11 employers of choice, 21 businesses that engage their staff in emerit Professional Certification and 32 Service Best Businesses. this year marked the 20th year of the recognition dinners. the first dinner, in 1994, recognized professionals in four certified occupations. in 2013, more than 24 occupations offer certification and two tourism Journeyperson trades have been established in saskatchewan. this year, the number of certified tourism professionals in the province surpassed 2,200. more information about emerit certification, Journeypersons and award recipients is published in the official tourism Professional recognition Dinners program, available for download at stec.com/standards-and-certification/professional-recognition-dinners ambassador awards BeCome an employer of choice in 2014 registrations are open until november 30, 2013 to be recognized as an employer of choice in 2014. employers of choice are at an advantage to recruit and retain top talent. the tourism saskatchewan employer of choice designation helps you find and keep star performers. to qualify, organizations undertake an extensive audit that takes about 40 to 60 hours to complete. start early, so that your business can be recognized as an employer of choice in 2014. for more information or to register, visit steceoc.com. 2013 Employers of choice: CAA saskatchewan (2013) d3h hotels -days inn regina eastgate (2010-2013) -days inn regina Airport west (2011-2013) -homesuites hotel regina (2011-2013) delta regina (2011-2013) gold eagle lodge, north Battleford (2010-2013) radisson hotel saskatoon (2010-2013) Prairieland Park Corporation, saskatoon (2010-2013) sheraton Cavalier saskatoon hotel (2013) the James hotel, saskatoon (2013) tourism saskatchewan (2011-2013) 2014 Service Best online launched tourism saskatchewan launched Service Best online in June. the online version addresses the same learning objectives and uses the same content as the seven-hour classroom version of the course, with hands-on exercises redesigned for online delivery, as well as a new evaluation model. Left to right: Kevin Doucette, Vickie Clarke, Tauno Lindner At the 20th annual tourism Professional recognition Dinners, three individuals received tourism Ambassador Awards and one individual received an educator of the year Award. these awards are presented annually to outstanding certified professionals who demonstrate exemplary dedication to professional development in saskatchewan s tourism sector. this year s recipients were: tourism ambassadors kevin doucette, regional executive Chef at saskatchewan indian gaming Authority, saskatoon tauno lindner, renowned red seal Chef, certified bartender and freshwater fishing guide, saskatoon ken racette, front office manager at travelodge hotel and Conference Centre, regina educator of the year vickie Clarke, head of the recreation and tourism management Program at siast kelsey Campus and operator of living skies events and tours, saskatoon 2013 tourism scholarship AwArd winners Chosen tourism saskatchewan has awarded scholarships to lakeland College graduate Brandon stremick from goodsoil, and saskatchewan institute of Applied science and technology (siast) graduate tina shaw from la ronge. tourism saskatchewan sponsors two annual tourism scholarships of $1,000, one for lakeland College and one for siast. not just for tourism businesses, Service Best online helps any organization, including retail and not-for-profit entities, put their best foot forward and deliver better service. A separate Service Best tourism module is also available, designed to help tourism and hospitality businesses wow customers and increase sales. for more information or to register, visit steconlinelearning.com. new professional designations for hotel general manager and director of housekeeping saskatchewan has already received its first registration for hotel general manager, shortly after Canada s newest emerit professional designation launched in may. the hotel general manager certification introduces a Canadian option for hotel general managers seeking an industry-developed and endorsed professional credential. emerit has also introduced a director of housekeeping certification. this new certification recognizes the critical role that this management position plays in any accommodations business. to find out more about hotel general manager and director of housekeeping certification, visit emerit.ca. Summer 2013 G O I N G P L A C E S

16 roger brooks highlight of tourism Saskatchewan Spring workshop more than 100 tourism operators and stakeholders attended the tourism Saskatchewan Spring workshop on April 25 at the radisson Plaza hotel saskatchewan in regina. this informative and engaging day of learning featured a keynote address and presentation from roger Brooks, President and Ceo of roger Brooks international (formerly destination development international). the day started at 10 a.m. with greetings from Pat fiacco, Ceo of tourism saskatchewan. immediately following, roger Brooks presented the keynote address, the seven deadly sins of Community marketing. using humour and colourful examples, Brooks presented the seven key actions that will help communities succeed in an increasingly competitive environment. After a networking luncheon, Brooks presented an afternoon workshop, the 20 ingredients of an outstanding destination. this insightful seminar provided the key ingredients to becoming a successful tourist destination. roger Brooks is one of the world s leading specialists on community branding, development, marketing, and tourism. he has assisted nearly 1,000 communities in north America with their efforts to become outstanding destinations, and has worked in more than 40 states and nine Canadian provinces over the past 25 years. Brooks dynamic and entertaining style has made him one of the most popular keynote speakers in the industry, and one of north America s most recognized and frequently quoted experts in the tourism and community branding field. using stories and real-life examples to inspire and ignite his audiences, he empowers his listeners to make a difference in their communities. the tourism Saskatchewan Spring workshop coincided with the 24th annual Saskatchewan tourism awards of excellence Gala, which was also held on April 25 at the Conexus Arts Centre in regina. The Seven Deadly Sins of Community marketing 1. trying to be all things to all people 2. telling the world who instead of why 3. Boring ads and headlines 4. spending more on collateral than on the web 5. Being everywhere yet nowhere 6. selling place before experience 7. missing a call to action visit industrymatters.com to download roger Brooks presentations from the tourism Saskatchewan Spring workshop. subscribe to Brooks' free, no obligation, weekly "what to do?" series at http://bit.ly/rogerweekly. culture days in saskatchewan all summer long! submitted by saskculture culture Days is a national initiative that takes place during the last week of september each year (september 27-29 are the 2013 dates), but it was recently kicked off in saskatchewan with a major promotional campaign called i heart culture that will run all summer long! led by saskculture (the non-profit agency that administers saskatchewan lotteries funds to the province s arts and cultural sector), the i heart culture contest invites people to submit photos, videos, poems, stories, even recipes that reflect what they love most about our province the places we love, people, food, landscapes and skylines, poetry and storytelling, films, music, art, dance, crafts and more. this is what makes up our unique culture. it is what makes saskatchewan a special place to live and visit. entries submitted will qualify for a draw to be held during culture Days 2013. the prize packages are being touted as the ultimate Saskatchewan cultural experience, and include tickets to major festivals, concert venues, galleries and museums for 2014. By sharing what you love about saskatchewan s culture, you could win tickets to the 2014 Craven Country Jamboree (including campsite!), regina folk festival, summer solstice festival d'été or the long day s night music festival (among many other prizes)! Also part of the prize packages are bus passes courtesy of saskatchewan transportation Company (stc). Contest winners can enjoy the comfort and safety of travelling with stc to festivals or events located around the province. saskenergy is another corporate sponsor, and in its mail-out of the July energy bill, inserted information about the i heart culture contest. visit iheartculture.ca for more details about the contest and the great prizes and experiences offered. every year, saskculture engages four artists as animateurs, who bring artistic activities to life in communities large and small, urban and rural. last year, the animateurs visited over 100 communities around the province, while over 240 events took place across saskatchewan during culture Days. this year, the animateurs have been travelling across the province since early may. with the added push of the i heart culture contest underway, this summer promises to be an incredibly vibrant and culturally engaged season in saskatchewan. for more information on culture Days across Canada and in saskatchewan, visit culturedays.ca. follow saskatchewan s culture Days on twitter @culturedayssk. Saskculture, through funding from the Saskatchewan lotteries trust Fund for Sport, culture and recreation, supports a network of organizations that work to engage the people of Saskatchewan in a variety of cultural activities. Visit saskculture.sk.ca for more information. G O I N G P L A C E S Summer 2013

17 saskatchewanderer discovers food, fashion And wild Ponies in home ProvinCe submitted by the ministry of Parks, Culture and sport when university of saskatchewan student Caitlin taylor, 20, saw a Facebook ad for the ministry of Parks, Culture and sport s Saskatchewanderer position, she knew she had stumbled on the perfect summer gig. it combined a bunch of my passions blogging, photography and video editing. i knew i had to apply. when i saw the ad, i thought, this job is made for me. the Saskatchewanderer summer student position aims to promote the province s unique landscape and tourism industry through social media, something in which taylor has an extensive background. After high school, the saskatoon native headed west. she found work with Jonathan field horsemanship in British Columbia. this is where she learned how to navigate the world of social media. she launched a Facebook page and twitter account for the horse trainer. she also edited a series of horse training dvds that are now sold across the globe. And yes, she learned how to ride. she gained experience in everything from mucking out stalls to marketing a business, but, two years in, she craved the place in which she grew up: saskatchewan. so, she moved home and enrolled at the university of saskatchewan. when she applied for the position of Saskatchewanderer, she was wrapping up her first year of classes. At the beginning of may, taylor wandered into the ministry s office in regina and then right into the spotlight. A media event kicked off her summer job and prepared her for the media interviews that followed. i was so nervous for the media event, taylor said. it s an intimidating thing to deliver greetings at an event that the minister of Parks, Culture and sport is attending. i m excited to continue following the Saskatchewanderer this summer, minister of Parks, Culture and sport kevin doherty said. she is already doing a great job promoting our province to both residents and visitors. she will show people the vibrant quality of life we experience here in saskatchewan. over the past few months, taylor has already experienced saskatchewan s diversity. her more than 3,700 followers have likely made their own travel plans after watching her videos, viewing her photographs and reading her blog posts. she has watched models strut down the catwalk at Saskatchewan Fashion week in regina; she has walked through the francophone community of gravelbourg testing gourmet mustard and gazing at the steeple of an historic cathedral; she has watched wild ponies gallop across meadows Saskatchewanderer Caitlin Taylor bordering the Bronson forest near frenchman Butte; and taylor has even raced go-carts against Bennett dunlop ford marketing manager Justin reves at the 3 flags track in lumsden. recently, she posted a photo of her ford escape in front of the A&w in davidson and asked followers, where am i? more than 750 people commented on that photo. more than 32,000 people viewed it. i have the best summer job ever, taylor said. i can t wait to continue exploring saskatchewan. i really want to go on a hot air balloon ride this summer. i think it ll help me and those i share my adventures with look at this province with fresh eyes. i m also hoping to visit the Athabasca sand dunes. i ve never been, but i ve heard they re beautiful! you can follow taylor at saskatchewanderer.ca. in addition to the website, you can find her on Facebook, twitter and instagram. the Saskatchewanderer project is sponsored by Bennett dunlop ford and CAA saskatchewan. SaSkaTChewan PRovinCial PaRkS gearing up for a great SummeR submitted by the ministry of Parks, Culture and sport saskatchewan Provincial Parks continue to be incredibly popular tourism destinations. in 2012, provincial parks set another visitation record with 3.56 million visits and, so far, 2013 is looking to be just as busy. But provincial parks staff are not just pulling up a lawn chair and making s mores. rather, they continue to improve services and offerings for visitors including a brand new provincial park. the creation of the 35th provincial park in saskatchewan will be officially proclaimed this summer. named great Blue heron Provincial Park, it is located north of Prince Albert in the area of Anglin and emma lakes. it protects more than 11,000 hectares and contains almost 300 campsites. the area offers the best of both worlds in this meeting point of parkland and northern forests. located at the gateway to the boreal forest, the new park allows for great wildlife viewing opportunities and activities ranging from picnicking and hiking in the summer to crosscountry skiing or ice fishing in the winter. Another improvement to provincial parks this year started in the spring by creating staggered reservation release dates to spread out the website traffic and make the booking process smoother. this resulted in approximately 19,400 bookings over the week of march 4, which was a 29.5 per cent increase over last year s first week of reservations. the camping season is off to a great start. for 2013, saskatchewan Provincial Parks is releasing the saskparks app. this is a free interactive app created for ipads that will be downloadable from itunes. users will have access to the 2013 parks guide and interactive features, such as tapping on the map to see individual park information, viewing videos and photo adventures of the Saskatchewanderer, or checking into saskparks Facebook page for the latest information. saskatchewan Provincial Parks is also providing an online version of the parks guide in french. People will be able to visit the saskparks.net site and download it in pdf format. And for further information, visitors to the saskparks website can now sign up for the e-newsletter right from the home page. subscribers will receive four to six e-newsletters throughout the year that will include park announcements, information on camping reservations and upcoming events. during this summer, three provincial parks will celebrate milestone anniversaries. saskatchewan landing and douglas Provincial Park, located on lake diefenbaker, will each turn 40. Buffalo Pound Provincial Park, located 20 minutes northeast of moose Jaw, will celebrate 50 years. there is a lot to celebrate in these parks. from the ruggedly beautiful steep hills or historic goodwin house of saskatchewan landing Provincial Park to the wonderland of water-based recreational opportunities in douglas Provincial Park, there is so much to see and do. Buffalo Pound offers opportunities to catch trout, relax on the beach, explore nature on the mountain bike trails or view the herd of bison against a backdrop of prairie sky. you can book your campsites for any of these great parks online or check saskparks.net for all of the upcoming anniversary celebrations. Summer 2013 G O I N G P L A C E S

18 interactive insights tourism Saskatchewan launches #exploresask instagram contest Prior to contest: in August 2012, tourism saskatchewan decided to dive into the world of instagram. since then, its followers have increased, on average, at a rate of 60/month. As a means to interact with consumers and encourage them to share their saskatchewan instagrams, tourism saskatchewan utilizes the #exploresask hashtag. it is also a great way to generate content to use on its other social channels. from october 2012 to may 2013, approximately 229 instagrams using the #exploresask hashtag were uploaded per month. during contest: on may 17, tourism saskatchewan launched the #exploresask instagram contest. As incentive to enter the contest, Saskatchewan: hard to Spell. easy to Draw. t-shirts were awarded to weekly winners. to enter, instagrammers needed to tag @tourismsask in the image and utilize the #exploresask hashtag in their shot description. from may to June, there was an increase of 291 instagram followers (385 per cent increase over the usual monthly rate) and 615 #exploresask instagrams were added (169 per cent increase), which resulted in great saskatchewan content being shared with potential tourists. the contest has been promoted solely via the following social channels: Facebook, twitter, instagram, tumblr and Pinterest. Contest One month Start into the Date: summer-long May 17 contest: June 17 contest entries 0 83 instagram followers 600 886 #exploresask instas 2,280 3,111 tourismsask "tags" 0 406 online Marketing trends in tourism social media contests what not to do you have seen them. Contests, most often on Facebook: to enter, like our page and like this photo and share this photo! seems harmless enough, right? well, running a contest like that on Facebook could get your business page or personal account suspended. Facebook has very strict rules on how promotions and contests are to be run, and these rules are described in Facebook s Promotion guidelines: facebook.com/page_guidelines.php#promotionsguidelines. transport image files faster than ever before, and devices display them more clearly than ever. Consumers have always been drawn to good imagery, and the online world is now filled with enticing imagery. take a look at how Facebook, as one example, has changed to accommodate this consumer demand. tourism saskatchewan s Facebook page as it appeared in 2011 is on the left, and 2013 on the right. here are some excerpts: you must not condition registration or entry upon the user taking any action using any Facebook features or functionality other than liking a Page, checking in to a Place, or connecting to your app. for example, you must not condition registration or entry upon the user liking a wall post, or commenting or uploading a photo on a wall. you must not notify winners through Facebook, such as through Facebook messages, chat, or posts on profiles (timelines) or Pages. it is not all bad news, though. you can run a contest on Facebook through a third-party app, or you can promote on Facebook and direct users to enter elsewhere, such as on your website. other social networks are not as strict (yet) on these types of promotions. you can condition entry on twitter by asking people to follow your account or retweet, and you can operate your Pinterest promotion around pinning and repinning. Any public notifications about the contest, such as identifying winners or answering enquiries, can be done through the social channel you are using, but all follower personal information should be exchanged via direct message or email only. Contests can be an effective way to attract and engage new followers, but it is important to remember that there are rules to follow, especially on Facebook. images and online marketing there is an old saying about real estate: location, location, location. well, in the online world, in general, and in social media, in particular, it goes more like this: imagery, imagery, imagery. improving wi-fi and cellular technologies social networks that prominently feature moving and still images have become immensely popular. instagram (instagram.com) and Pinterest (pinterest.com) have taken off, and twitter s six-second video network Vine is growing quickly. Consumers have grown to expect access to great video of prospective vacation destinations, and if video is not available, then top-quality photos are a must. tourism businesses, more than many others, rely on photos and video to sell their product, whether it is scenery, people experiencing the product or the facilities. to remain competitive, make sure your online imagery is fresh, high quality and plentiful. G O I N G P L A C E S Summer 2013

here & there 19 After 18 years, saskatoon native and top chef canada winner dale mackay is coming back to saskatoon to open Ayden kitchen & Bar. the establishment, located in the space formerly occupied by souleio foods, will offer a large dining room and bar, a private dining/party room, fairweather patio and a catering kitchen. Ayden kitchen & Bar will also have an adjoining market that will focus on house-made charcuterie, custom butchery, fresh cheeses and gourmet pantry items for take-away. the menu is still in development but will offer what mackay terms modern Canadian comfort food, with an emphasis on seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. the restaurant, named after mackay s son Ayden, is set to open in late summer. for updates on the development of Ayden kitchen & Bar, visit the restaurant s website at aydenkitchenandbar.com. the award-winning Cypress hills eco-adventures has added a new attraction for 2013. Along with the zipline canopy tour, rock climbing wall, slacklines and mini-zips for kids, the business now features a treetop adventure park. the park has suspended cargo nets, pipes, swinging logs to navigate and wobbly bridges to cross all located high up in the lodgepole pine forest of the Cypress hills. the adventure park can be incorporated into one of the canopy tours or enjoyed separately. there is no need to book the treetop adventure park in advance. Cypress hills eco-adventures is open seven days a week from may 1 to october 31. visit zipcypresshills.ca. on June 18, tourism saskatoon, the saskatoon hotel Association and saskatoon sports tourism recognized tourism leaders at the fifth annual Saskatoon Shines! tourism leadership celebration. the annual event publicly recognizes the efforts of individuals who have contributed to saskatoon s tourism industry through attractions management, or by hosting or bidding for events. the 13 recipients are: herm hordal, Chair, velocity Prairie thunder nascar Canadian tire race series; lynn ewing, President, saskatoon symphony orchestra; Brice field, Chair, saskatoon Pride festival; laura Petrishen-ha, Chair, saskatoon Blitz; vic dubois, Chair, Canadian Country music Awards; tiffany Paulsen, Chair, federation of Canadian municipalities Conference; shari Benson, Bid Chair, united way Centraide of Canada Conference; marilyn Jonas, Bid Chair, symposium of the world Association of veterinary laboratory diagnosticians; kerry tarasoff, Chair, tim hortons Brier; Joan markentin and norm weins, meet managers, Canadian Junior national diving Championship; Carmen Bell, Bid Chair, subaru western triathlon series; and robert renneberg, general manager, keystone Cup Junior B hockey Championship. Congratulations to the saskatchewan nominees for the 2013 western canadian music awards. nominees were announced on June 21, with saskatchewan artists garnering 12 nominations in 21 categories. Jason Cullimore picked up three nominations for Classical Composition of the year, Classical recording of the year and instrumental recording of the year. saskatoon rockers the sheepdogs were nominated for rock recording of the year and songwriter(s) of the year, while regina indie band rah rah was recognized in the categories of independent Album of the year and rock recording of the year. other nominees include: donny Parenteau, george leach, Jack semple, Alexis normand, Cities under fire, Jared robinson, Creative City Centre, Andy shauf, derek Bachman and Andrei feheregyhazi. the western canadian music awards gala show will take place on october 6 in Calgary, as part of the Breakout west weekend. the complete list of 2013 nominees is available at breakoutwest.ca. to find out more about saskatchewan music and musical artists, visit saskmusic.org. new otentik accommodations installed at Prince albert national Park Are you interested in connecting with the outdoors in comfort? is your young family looking for camping convenience? thinking of camping for the first time? this summer, Parks Canada is making your camping experience in Prince Albert national Park easier and more comfortable with a new accommodation offer. exclusive to Canada s national parks, 10 otentiks have been installed in Prince Albert national Park. A cross between an A-frame cabin and a prospector tent mounted on a raised wooden floor, this new camping experience will appeal to families, youth, new Canadians and anyone interested in enjoying the great outdoors in comfort. otentiks are designed to modernize and diversify the traditional camping experience in the park. the otentiks, located in waskesiu lake, are clustered together and embraced by beautiful spruce forest in the Beaver glen Campground. this campground provides easy access to the townsite and amenities, a nearby beach, bathroom and shower facilities and interpretive programming. Access to a trail system for hiking and biking is available from the campground. each Parks Canada otentik tent is designed and made in Canada. features of the otentik include: 19 x 24-ft tent provides plenty of room for families or groups up to six sleeping area accommodates two-queen sized and one double-sized bunk bed with high-density foam mattresses for a restful night s sleep A spacious living room, with a table for six, offers a great activity area for inclement weather tents are heated by either a propane stove, wood stove or electric heater An outdoor fire pit and picnic table guarantees the tradition of camp-style cooking windows that unzip and mosquito screens allow fresh air movement and fibreglass doors that lock Parking for up to two vehicles visitors need only bring their food, personal effects and sleeping bags the Parks Canada otentik offers a unique mix of comfort and adventure in the great outdoors bringing visitors closer to nature while providing a roof over their heads and a floor beneath their feet, Alan fehr, Prince Albert national Park superintendent, said. with otentik, Parks Canada provides the ideal option for families, friends and couples to discover the joys of camping in all its simplicity and with no hassles. Parks Canada s otentik tents are an affordable accommodation option at $100/night (gst included). A minimum two-night stay is required on weekends. to reserve your stay in an otentik, call 1.877.reserve or visit reservation.pc.gc.ca. for more information, visit pc.gc.ca/princealbert. Summer 2013 G O I N G P L A C E S

MaRk your calendar MAJOR EVENTS RCMP Sergeant Major s Parade January 7-December 13, 2013...Regina Souris Valley Theatre June 13-August 10, 2013...Estevan Nipawin Great Northern Pike Festival June 16-September 30, 2013...Nipawin Burning Sun Productions presents Theatre on the Hoof July 1-September 25, 2013...Regina and Moose Jaw RCMP Sunset-Retreat Ceremonies July 1-August 13, 2013...Regina Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival July 10-August 25, 2013...Saskatoon Trial of Louis Riel July 17-August 2, 2013...Regina Prince Albert Exhibition Summer Fair July 30-August 3, 2013...Prince Albert The Queen City Ex July 31-August 4, 2013...Regina PotashCorp Fringe Theatre Festival August 1-10, 2013...Saskatoon Macklin World Bunnock Championship Challenge August 2-4, 2013...Macklin Threshermen s Show and Seniors Festival August 3-4, 2013...Yorkton The Saskatoon EX August 6-11, 2013...Saskatoon Saskatchewan Premier s Walleye Cup August 8-10, 2013...Nipawin Regina Folk Festival August 9-11, 2013...Regina Paul McCartney Concert August 14, 2013...Regina Folkfest 2013: Expect the World From Us! August 15-17, 2013...Saskatoon Motherwell Homestead National Historic Site 30th Anniversary Celebration August 18, 2013...Abernethy Symphony Under the Sky August 18, 2013...Regina Off Axis presents SaskTel Summer Invasion August 23-25, 2013...Regina Rock 102 Cruise Weekend August 23-25, 2013...Saskatoon PotashCorp Fireworks Festival August 30-31, 2013...Saskatoon SaskPower Regina Dragon Boat Festival August 30-31, 2013...Regina Credit Union Queen City Marathon September 8, 2013...Regina Carlyle Homespun Craft Show and Sale September 21-22, 2013...Carlyle 101st Grey Cup Festival November 20-24, 2013...Regina INDUSTRY EVENTS Tourism Saskatchewan Golf Classic September 10, 2013...Harbor Golf Club & Resort, Elbow HOST Saskatchewan Conference December 9-10, 2013...Delta Regina Hotel, Regina TRADESHOWS/MARKETPLACES/FAMS TRAVEL TRADE: Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) Mega FAM September 12-17, 2013...Throughout Saskatchewan CONSUMER SHOWS Snowmobile Show November 1-3, 2013...Saskatoon MEDIA/PUBLICITY GoMedia Pre-FAM September 3-7, 2013...Regina, Saskatoon and Surrounding Areas GoMedia Marketplace September 8-12, 2013...Charlottetown, PEI STEC PROGRAMS/WORKSHOPS Employer of Choice 2014 Registration May 1-November 30, 2013...Province-wide Facilitator Skills Development Workshop August 27-29, 2013...Regina Service Best Teacher In-Service August 29, 2013...Regina Lunch and Learn Series Customer Expectations September 18, 2013...Saskatoon Tourism Training Opportunities October 16, 2013...Saskatoon Compensation Highlights November 20, 2013...Saskatoon return undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: tourism saskatchewan 189-1621 Albert Street Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada S4P 2S5 E-mail: travel.info@sasktourism.com Internet site: TourismSaskatchewan.com 1-877-2ESCAPE (237-2273)