Winnipeg | Canada's Diversity Gardens

[esquire]

^ Probably a good number from Sask as well.

But the point is that the people coming up from Thief River Falls or wherever on a typical weekend have a relatively small impact on the local tourist economy. The population is so small that even if you ratcheted up those numbers, it still wouldn't amount to a major increase.

[Curmudgeon]

^ Why just Thief River Falls? Minnesota and North Dakota together have 6 1/2 million people. I would like a study done to compare how many Winnipeggers visit the Twin Cities compared with how many Minneapolitans and Saint Paulites visit Winnipeg.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

^ Why just Thief River Falls? Minnesota and North Dakota together have 6 1/2 million people. I would like a study done to compare how many Winnipeggers visit the Twin Cities compared with how many Minneapolitans and Saint Paulites visit Winnipeg.

The problem is that most of that population is a 7+ hour drive away. At that range you're competing with the Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis type cities, plus all of the impressive natural attractions (Badlands, Apostle Islands/Great Lakes, northern MN camping country, other national parks, etc.). And those don't require you to have a passport and a clean record free of DWIs, etc. So it becomes harder for Winnipeg to compete.

Don't get me wrong, there is obviously a lot to see and do here, but pulling in thousands of Minnesotans a weekend on the regular would be tough. But hey, NL managed to turn itself into a trendy tourism destination, so nothing is impossible...

[buzzg]

We get already get a TON of 18–20 year olds visit from the states. College students who will go out and have a good time. Travel Manitoba should target the colleges and college towns ever more. They usually stay downtown, eat every meal out, and go to the bars at night. Noticeable uptick in young Americans at many bars downtown when there's a US long weekend.

[esquire]

^ 18-20 year olds are definitely a well represented niche, but I don't know that they are necessarily the kinds of travellers that the hospitality biz wants to target... travelling 4 to a room, loud, drinking, not a lot of disposable income, etc.

[blueandgoldguy]

I think the majority of that 10% from the US is within a 3 hour drive of Winnipeg. Not much incentive for people from the Twin Cities and beyond to visit other then under-age drinking. It is as big as Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg put together with more to do then all those cities combined.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

^ That 4% figure seemed absurdly low until I read the article.

"In 2016, the most recent year for which tourism data is available, Manitobans accounted for 85 per cent of the 10.6 million tourist visits within the province, according to Statistics Canada.

Visitors from other Canadian provinces accounted for 10 per cent of tourist visits and U.S. travellers made up four per cent, while overseas visitors only comprised one per cent of our visitors, the statistics agency concluded".

I wonder what share of the 10% of visitors from other Canadian provinces are from Northwestern Ontario (Kenora and Dryden)? I would guess at least half.

The obvious solution would be to forbid Manitobans from doing anything touristy within the province. Then U.S. travellers would jump from 4% to 26% of our tourist visits and other Canadians would be an amazing 67%! The tourism industry would be saved.

[pspeid]

IMO attracting tourism to Manitoba will always be an uphill battle. As much as I love my home and appreciate it's beauty and attractions, our attractions, for the most part, simply lack the "lure appeal" of either dramatic natural surroundings (like mountains, canyons, oceans, etc.) or monumental and/or ancient architecture (no European-style cathedrals, no pyramids or Stonehenges here).

With that in mind, Manitoba does have tourism to Churchill as a "unique" attraction to pique long-distance traveller's interest, and a growing number of great attractions in and around Winnipeg to lure local travellers.

Perhaps what is lacking is the option of some "medium time/distance" tours out of Winnipeg that involve an overnight stay somewhere. Maybe some photo tours of the province's ecological or wildlife reserves would be possible without damaging the environment they protect? Perhaps an overnight beach-and-farm or beach-and-borel forest tour? Just tossing out ideas here. folks.

[bomberjet]

Eco tourism is the main draw for tourists. Not just Churchill, but other stuff moistly in summer. Beyond that, people mill about the forks and Winnipeg in general.

I'd also suspect some, majority of those tourist visits are specific events, such as hockey tournaments and such.

[esquire]

The only 'world class' draws we have are Churchill and the northern hunting/fishing lodges. And those are pretty limited in terms of their appeal relative to the Niagara Falls/Rocky Mountains-type places. But that said, there is nothing wrong with the money that comes in from running bus tours to Mennonite Days or casinos.

I do agree with pspeid that it would be nice if we had a few more Manitoba options that weren't just camping. Once you've been to Brandon, Elkhorn and Hecla, it feels like there aren't many driving tourist destinations to visit in Manitoba.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Andy6

The obvious solution would be to forbid Manitobans from doing anything touristy within the province. Then U.S. travellers would jump from 4% to 26% of our tourist visits and other Canadians would be an amazing 67%! The tourism industry would be saved.

Tourists from within Manitoba are very important to the industry but they do not bring new dollars into the province. Manitoba has a number of amazing attractions that are not promoted, or more importantly not built to a standard that would encourage visitors to want to spend money to travel there. Take Grand Beach for example, arguably the best beach within hundreds of miles, but water quality is a problem and accommodations and food and beverage options are lacking to say the least. Potential lost.

Would help too if the people here didn't have broomsticks up their backsides and bemoan anyone having a good time. The way the whiteout street party was ruined with ticketing and admission to public streets was shameful. Winnipeg should have an area like the French Quarter, the Tampa Riverwalk or Beale Street in Memphis where people can enjoy themselves and walk around with a beer or a cocktail, as long as it's not in a glass container. No, it's not utter mayhem, it's fun! Canada has a reputation abroad of being a boring country and that the only "fun" city is Montreal. Let's change that.

Not suggesting that this province will ever compete with B.C. in terms of natural attractions, but there are more than ten million people within a ten hour drive of southern Manitoba, many of whom are completely unaware that this province exists.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Tourists from within Manitoba are very important to the industry but they do not bring new dollars into the province. Manitoba has a number of amazing attractions that are not promoted, or more importantly not built to a standard that would encourage visitors to want to spend money to travel there. Take Grand Beach for example, arguably the best beach within hundreds of miles, but water quality is a problem and accommodations and food and beverage options are lacking to say the least. Potential lost.

I agree with your latter point about our underdeveloped tourism industry... Grand Beach is an excellent example. Just about anywhere else, a beach like that would have a couple of nice hotels, restaurants, a small beach strip, etc. But Grand Beach has next to nothing, and there is nothing to entice someone to spend the night unless they already have a cottage.

But that said, even though tourists from within Manitoba don't bring new dollars into the province, they are spending here instead of going to Minnesota, Alberta, Arizona or wherever. The problem is there are so few options. After you go to Elkhorn, the resort at Gimli, the one at Hecla and maybe a resort in the Whiteshell, there isn't much left.

[bomberjet]

Chicken and egg thing. Who in their right mind would build a hotel at Grand Beach, knowing it's a ghost town for at least 6 months of the year? Well seems nobody.. Althoguh it's a fantastic idea and would/should be super busy in the summer months.

What can we do to change that? Probably government dollars, which are in extremely short supply. But then we don't get the added benefit of more tax dollars. So again, chicken and egg.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Chicken and egg thing. Who in their right mind would build a hotel at Grand Beach, knowing it's a ghost town for at least 6 months of the year? Well seems nobody.. Althoguh it's a fantastic idea and would/should be super busy in the summer months.

What can we do to change that? Probably government dollars, which are in extremely short supply. But then we don't get the added benefit of more tax dollars. So again, chicken and egg.

Oh yes, for sure. The government already tried that at least once with the Hecla resort. It struggled for years, and even now in its privatized state I bet it's still a shoestring operation.

Although that said I wonder if the conditions are better for winter tourism... people seem more active now than they were in the 80s. I know people who go to places like Maplelag in Minnesota, but there is next to nothing for active winter resort options in Manitoba... which is ironic, considering how much of it we have.

[bomberjet]

Yes summer months shouldn't be an issue really. need more marketing. It's the winter months that are a problem on the business end.

Grand Beach should be a hub of activity in winter. Fishing, snow mobile, skiing, whatever. Market that shit to the masses.

I find the problem with the continuous northern focused marketing, the Manitoba commercials which show polar bears and northern lights, lend themselves to a sense that it is very expensive to get there. Which it is.

[Curmudgeon]

^ We're not the only place that has winter. The Black Hills and the Minnesota North Shore have an "off season" too.

[bomberjet]

Black Hills, for example, also numerous cities and towns. Grand Beach has like 100 people if that during the winter.

I guess my point is nobody has figured out how to make anything work, so there is nothing.

Take even the Grand Beach strip during the summer. Many of the places have closed since I was a child. There's a couple restaurants and that's it. Seems like a under utilized place. Never mind the winter when nobody goes there.

[Curmudgeon]

Grand Beach is within an hour's drive of what, 900,000 people? That's more than the entire population of the state of South Dakota. The Black Hills area has only one city with over 50,000 population, Rapid City.

There's a permeating "can't do" and self-defeatist attitude that exists here, and has for decades. That's why Winnipeg has to settle for a shitty BRT system. Can't tell you how many times I have travelled south and witnessed obnoxious Manitobans at the bar telling wide-eyed locals or American tourists how it's forty below here for six months of the year, the mosquitos are the size of birds and if you spend anytime outside you will need a blood transfusion and the potholes swallow cars. Does that inspire people to want to visit here?

[bomberjet]

There's 250k people surrounding the Black Hills. From Spearfish down to Rapid City.

Anyway, I hear you. But if there was really some money to be made in these places, people would be doing it.

[EspionNoir]

Haha nothing is more convincing than a botanical garden under construction. Is it approaching completion now?