President’s Message

Manitoba is on a roll. There’s increasing excitement around Manitoba as a tourism destination. Our tourism products and attractions, both those existing and those soon coming to market have positioned our tourism industry favourably for future growth.

A new airport, improvements and additions at Assiniboine Park, the rise of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights against the backdrop of The Forks, and a renewed sense of community pride with the return of the Winnipeg Jets are just a few of the reasons it’s Manitoba’s time to shine.

Indeed, our guests at Travel Manitoba’s Annual General Meeting, CEO Michele McKenzie and Board Chair Steve Allan of the Canadian Tourism Commission, were blown away by their visit to the province, sharing their impressions and excitement about the compelling happenings here. The CTC also recently recognized three more Manitoba experiences, bringing the province’s number to six in the CTC’s Signature Experiences Collection.

We know that our industry continues to face challenges, such as this summer’s flooding, declining U.S. visitation and instability in global economies. Even in the face of these factors, the industry recorded positive growth and continues to expand. Tourism remains a critical economic driver in Manitoba, sustaining more than 5,600 tourism businesses and 17,000 direct tourism jobs. The tourism industry is a key contributor to the provincial economy generating $1.2 billion in annual expenditures which results in more than $550 million in federal, provincial and municipal tax-based revenues. With new experiences and attractions coming on stream every day throughout the province, we believe now is the time to maximize public and private investment in tourism and continue to grow the industry, the product and our reputation for quality service. We must collaborate and align our forces to increase investment in tourism marketing and development, ensuring that Manitoba establishes a strong tourism brand both nationally and internationally.

In 2008, Travel Manitoba received three years of federal Economic Partnership Agreement funding. With those funds depleted as of 2012, we are currently in the process of applying for additional funds. It is clear that there have been a lot of successes in the international markets over the last three years, so we look to continue to build on the foundations we’ve put in place in Canada, the U.S. and abroad.

Numbers aside, at the heart of Manitoba’s tourism industry is partnership. Strong bonds with government, industry associations and our industry here in the province enable us to capitalize on the opportunities in the global visitor economy.

Our new five-year business plan focuses on aligning our forces for stronger marketing impact, including placing a greater emphasis on partnership. (See pgs. 3-4 for more on our Partnership program opportunities.) We’re stronger – not to mention more efficient – when we work together. I look forward to continuing to work with you to continue to grow Manitoba’s tourism industry.

Colin Ferguson