Tourism Saskatoon’s outlook at the beginning of 2020 was they would see one of their strongest years ever, that was until the pandemic hit.
CEO Stephanie Clovechok says the global pandemic came as a shock, rapidly, to most in the Canadian tourism sector. She says there are two words that many are are using to describe the situation, unprecedented collapse. Adding, they had never seen the tourism sector so impacted by something, an impact that was especially felt locally, as Saskatoon had geared up to host the Juno Awards in March.
Clovechok says the heartbreak was immense, but she also saw the Saskatoonian community rally together to keep people safe. She suggests in 2020 with no where else to go, it was a great opportunity to turn inwards to see the incredible place we have in our very own backyard. Seeing people have staycations in Saskatoon hotels, out on the Meewasin trails or at places like Wanuskewin Heritage park for the first time, was a true bright spot for Clovechok , stating there is a lot to be proud of in the city.
In the past year, Clovechok says she has seen business partners innovate in ways they would never have anticipated, and the Saskatchewan spirit was really shown throughout 2020. She adds that when Tourism Saskatoon shares a message to get out and experience the community, whether it’s at a hotel or outdoor event, she is confident tourism partners are working within public health orders to keep everyone safe.
In 2020, Tourism Saskatoon developed the CommUNITY Committment, that created a toolkit for many businesses to implement controls, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, as much as possible.
Clovechok says looking forward in 2021, collaboration and contributing to a viable economic and social model for Saskatoon’s visitor economy, will be at top of mind. She suggests people can look forward to new opportunities to engage in the community, new things to do outdoors, new businesses and local staycations. Clovechok suggests doing business in Saskatoon through the tourism sector is going to contribute to a positive outcome in a much broader prospective, in the future.
