Manitoba’s tourism industry looking to cash in on increased domestic travel

The snow has melted, the sun is shining, and Canadians are ready to travel this spring. Not only that, but a recent study shows that many are looking to keep their vacations domestic, a trend that Travel Manitoba is hoping to take advantage of.

“We’ve seen an increase in Canadians who not only have been speaking to us, but other tourism organizations, saying listen, I’m looking to stay at home this year, what could I be looking to do, and I’m also looking to explore places I haven’t been before,” said Cody Chomiak, the VP of marketing at Travel Manitoba.

A recent Leger report shows that 55 per cent of Canadians plan to take a leisure trip this spring, a rise from the previous two years. 67 per cent of those looking to travel are planning to stay within Canada. Chomiak is well-positioned to take advantage of the trend because it offers a unique mix of urban destinations, along with plenty of options for rural travel.

“Best camping sites, amazing places to stay, including on a houseboat, a yurt, taking advantage of all of our lakes and waterways, and of course our bucket list experiences, which are up in Churchill, where you’ve got beluga whales, polar bears, and the northern lights,” Chomiak explained.

Chomiak also mentioned urban gems in Manitoba, like The Forks, which has a full season of events planned.

“Many nations one heart beat, which will carry us through Indigenous Peoples Day all the way through to Canada Day, we have Pride, the Children’s festival is coming back up, and there’s just a lot going on always,” said Tineke Buiskool-Leeuwma, the communications advisor for The Forks.

Buiskool-Leeuwma says having attractive rural destinations in the province is vital for urban attractions like The Forks, and vice versa.

“We often find that Winnipeg and the Forks especially are a landing spot for a lot of folks whether they’re coming in and heading out to a rural experience, or even heading up north to Churchill, that they often make Winnipeg a stop in that, and that’s great because then as a whole we’re all benefiting from that economic impact that’s coming into our province and to our city as well,” said Buiskool-Leeuwma.

Travel Manitoba has invested 1.3 million into an ad campaign, hoping to encourage people to travel here.

“Last year, our $1.3 million campaign generated $3.5 million in hotel and airline bookings, and we know that’s the tip of the iceberg. We know that they spend money on food, attractions, and souvenirs when they’re here, so that’s really what we’re aiming to do this year,” Chomiak explained.