Mascots welcome guests to Winnipeg ahead of Mascot Madness
Posted April 19, 2024 4:03 pm.
Last Updated April 20, 2024 10:23 am.
Beavers, birds, a horse, and even a moose can be seen roaming the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport as part of tourism week. Nine of Manitoba’s most recognizable mascots came together to welcome arriving visitors to Winnipeg and highlight a significant increase from 2022.
The annual Mascot Madness event saw the likes of Buzz and Boomer of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Churchill from the Winnipeg Sea Bears, and Mick E. Moose from the Winnipeg Jets just to name a few.
Director of Marketing for Economic Development & Tourism Winnipeg Tyler Walsh, says this is always a fan favourite, and a perfect way to celebrate tourism by giving visitors a one-of-a-kind welcome to the city.
“People are coming down the escalator here and they don’t often see what’s going on until they get down to the bottom and see those mascots waiting to welcome them, so we think it’s just a really fun event,” said Walsh.
Some of the arriving guests we spoke to were pleasantly surprised to see nine mascots waiting for them after a long flight, with some even stopping to take a furry photo op and join in on the dance party.
“That’s the first time I’ve been welcomed back with that, and it was really awesome to see,” said Candice Siemens. “This is very cute I took a video so I could show my three-year-old.”
Peng Yiliang added, “I’m usually used to a welcome hug rug or whatever, but it was a lot more than that.”
The celebration didn’t stop there, as Destination Canada confirmed in 2023, that Winnipeg attracted approximately 4.2 million visitors, resulting in an estimated $1.1 billion in spending on tourism, a 16 per cent increase from 2022, which Walsh says was in large part due to some major events.
“We recently in 2023 held the world police and fire games which was the biggest event in attendees that Winnipeg has ever held,” said Walsh.
While Walsh says 2024s numbers might not break records, 2025 will be a ground-breaking year with not only the Grey Cup being hosted in Winnipeg, but also the CEBL Championship Weekend.
