June 24, 2010 Industry Update
The Latest...
Tourism Businesses and Attractions in Cypress Hills are Open for Business - With Some Restrictions
Tourist businesses and attractions in the Cypress Hills Destination Area are open to visitors but with some restrictions due to large amounts of rainfall and flooding in the area. The following properties have reported these conditions:
• Tourism Saskatchewan Visitor Reception Centre, Maple Creek, SK – closed until further notice.
• Town of Maple Creek – open with restricted restaurant and tourism service
• Maple Creek Visitor Centre is closed until further notice. Visitors are being directed to the Town Office.
• Eagle Valley Park Campground, Maple Creek, SK – closed until further notice.
• Centre Block is open with all businesses in operation.
• Centre Block campgrounds are open, group campgrounds are open with exception to Sleepy Hollow group campground, and Chalet is inaccessible at this time.
• West Block is closed until further notice due to roads into the West Block being inaccessible at this time.
• Centre Block hiking trails are accessible.
• Cypress Park Resort Inn – open.
• Cypress Hills Vineyard & Winery – scheduled to re-open June 27 or July 1.
• Fort Walsh and Cypress Hills Massacre National Historic Sites – closed until further notice.
• Historic Reesor Ranch – open.
• T. rex Discovery Centre, Eastend, SK – open.
• Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park – AB – open with some restrictions. • All businesses, including the Visitor Centre, are open.
• Group camps are open. Campgrounds are currently closed, but crews are working hard to have Old Baldy, Lakeview, Beaver Creek, and Firerock campgrounds open this week.
• Murray Hill Road, Golf Course Road, and Willow Creek Road are open. Reesor Lake, Battle Creek, Graburn, and Ferguson Hill roads are currently closed.
• Hiking trails along the lakeshore are open. Additional trails are expected to be open shortly.
• Elkwater Lake Lodge, Elkwater, AB – open.
• Bar Zee B&B, Elkwater, AB – open.
• Hidden Valley Ski Hill, Elkwater, AB – under repair for next winter season.
Visit www.cypresshills.ca, www.cypresshills.com, or contact individual operators directly for updates and alternate routes and detours.
Highway Update
Highway 1 is closed from the junction of Highway 21 to the Alberta border. The Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure is working diligently to reopen Highway 1 as soon as possible and hopes to have the highway open to travel as soon as this weekend. Highway crews will also begin work on a new, permanent bridge on Highway 271 (between Maple Creek and Fort Walsh) that should be open by July 1. Motorists are advised to check the Highway Hotline for the current status of highway conditions at www.highways.gov.sk.ca/road-conditions/ or 1-888-335-7623. For further updates, please check the Industry Matters website.
Reminder: Tourism Saskatchewan at New Location as of July 2
On Friday, July 2, Tourism Saskatchewan will be welcoming visitors and receiving mail at our new Regina office, located at Regina Centre Crossing, Albert Street and Dewdney Avenue. Our new mailing address will be: Tourism Saskatchewan, 189-1621 Albert Street, Regina, SK, S4P 2S5. Telephone numbers and email addresses will remain the same.
Updates to the 2011 Fishing & Hunting Guide
Tourism Saskatchewan is pleased to announce that the Fishing & Hunting Guide will undergo significant updates for 2011. The refreshed guide will include new promotional articles, layout, and overall design. As part of the changes, outfitters are encouraged to submit a photo of their property or business to be included with their paid listing, free of charge. In addition, operators will have the opportunity to purchase an 'up-sized' lisiting with increased display space.
The image requirements have been communicated by letter and email to fishing and hunting operators in June. However, if you have questions, or have not received this information, please contact Elizabeth at 306-787-5530 or elizabeth.braitenbach@sasktourism.com.
If you wish to book a listing in the 2011 Fishing & Hunting Guide, please contact Kathy Rosenkranz, Information Collection Coordinator at 306-787-2312 (kathy.rosenkranz@sasktourism.com) or Diane Sather at 306-787-7831 (diane.sather@sasktourism.com). For information on the increased listing size opportunity, please contact Bob Kadis at 306-933-5903 (bob.kadis@sasktourism.com).
We look forward to producing an updated, re-designed guide that will stronly appeal to the fishing and hunting markets in the United States and Canada.
Survey Participation - Thank you!
As part of Tourism Saskatchewan’s continuous improvement process, several online surveys have recently been used to gather feedback from members on a variety of topics. The response rate to these survey invitations has been excellent, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank members for their participation. Your input will be used to help us to make decisions going forward.
To measure awareness of Tourism Saskatchewan and Tourism Region membership benefits, obtain suggestions for new benefits, and gather input on possible member-to-member discount programs, an online survey was conducted with members in April. Of those who were invited, 386 members completed the survey, resulting in an 18.5% response rate.
Key findings included: members who were aware of benefits were able to list them quite accurately; only one-quarter of members would like to see new benefits added, with the one common theme being "Access to more marketing support/funding/advice/ opportunities" (26.7%). Interest in reprising the member-to-member savings program was split, with 43.3% of respondents in favour, while 56.7% were not.
Overall, the Membership Benefits Survey once again revealed that online surveys are effective in engaging members to provide thoughtful feedback to Tourism Saskatchewan. As a reminder to those who have not filled out the Going Places online survey evaluation, we are asking you to do so by no later than midnight, June 25. Please click here to fill out the survey. Your responses will be used to help make decisions on the publication going forward.
Here and There – Watch for New e-newsletter in June!
Starting later this month, a new e-newsletter will be delivered to your inbox containing relevant tourism industry news updates from around Saskatchewan and beyond. Each month, Here and There will contain quick updates and news items that are important to the province’s tourism industry and your business.
2nd Annual Golf Fore Hospitality Tournament - Register Today!
Join us on August 29 and 30 for the 2nd Annual SHHA/Tourism Saskatchewan Golf Fore Hospitality Tournament at Deer Valley Golf Club. Located just 20 minutes north of Regina, Deer Valley offers its visitors a championship golf course suited to players of all skill levels. Please click here for more tournament details and registration information.
