Tourism Moose Jaw had expected visitor numbers in 2019 to be either steady or drop slightly based on past trends, but then the Moose War erupted and all expectations evaporated.
“We had noticed that Canadian tourism was picking up because there was a ton of (promotional) money being pumped into China, so those numbers were anticipated to be up this year,” explained Jacki L’Heureux-Mason, executive director of Tourism Moose Jaw (TMJ). “But we were expecting a hold-steady or a little dip because of the economy. And then that Mac thing happened and our hopes went up.”
The visitor centre on Thatcher Drive saw more tourists pass through its doors this year — about 33,000 people — than ever before, while anecdotally, L’Heureux-Mason knows almost every business had a great summer and above-average numbers. The ambassador booth downtown also saw an increase in people.
“Overall, we will have the highest number of visitors (in 2019) that we’ve ever had since we started recording at least 15 years (ago) … ,” she added.
Trends and blips
Millions of Canadians took trips in 2017 since it was the country’s 150th birthday, which meant the visitor centre saw a record number of people pass through its doors. Tourism Moose Jaw expected to see a lull in 2018 since it assumed people wouldn’t travel as widely for a second consecutive year. An economic slowdown was also expected to hamper tourism in 2019.
However, said L’Heureux-Mason, TMJ found that the number of American visitors this year was larger than expected, especially since the United States economy is doing so well.
“We had every single state represented this year, so that was pretty cool,” she added.
Tourism Moose Jaw considers July and August to be the main tourism months, while it considers May, June, September and October to be the “shoulder seasons” when things slow down. Those particular months actually saw an increase of 1,300 to 1,400 people that, although small, is still tremendous since anything that extends the tourism season is good for businesses, said L’Heureux-Mason.
One regular trend sees seniors visit during the shoulder-season months since those are quieter times. However, what TMJ noticed this year was many families came for multi-day vacations. L’Heureux-Mason noted many of those families had heard about Mac the Moose and wanted to visit to see the infamous critter.
Tourism numbers
Two years ago was the best year that Tourism Moose Jaw had ever seen, while last year its numbers dipped since the trolley broke down and foot traffic to the visitor centre declined.
The numbers that the visitor centre records each year are only representative, L’Heureux-Mason explained, since not every person goes inside the building — or even goes there — while visiting. Typically, the centre’s numbers represent one in eight people who visit Moose Jaw. Furthermore, not every business provides its visitor information to Tourism Moose Jaw.
The following data show how many tourists attended the visitor centre in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively:
- May: 2,229 / 2,100 / 2,828
- June: 3,694 / 3,811 / 4,538
- July: 9,784 / 6,630 / 9,074
- August: 8,241 / 5,895 / 8,283
- September: 2,799 / 2,437 / 2,965
- October: 998 / 922 / 1,441
This means during those six months, 27,745 people were recorded two years ago; 21,795 were recorded last year, and; 29,129 were counted this year.
Numbers from Tourism Saskatchewan show about 424,000 people visited Moose Jaw two years ago and 438,000 tourists visited last year. The average number of people who visit each year is between 405,000 and 450,000, according to L’Heureux-Mason. Therefore, it's possible to speculate that total numbers will be similar to, or higher than, 2018.
“We’re not far off what Regina and Saskatoon bring in and they are 10 times our size,” she added.
Economic effect
Tourists spend more than non-tourists by shelling out on average $180 per day, or $500 per day for families, said L’Heureux-Mason. That means between $70 million and $90 million is generated in tourism revenue here each year. This puts tourism in the top three industries in Moose Jaw.
“It’s critical,” she said. Jobs in the tourism industry — even if they are minimum wage — help put food on people’s tables. Business owners typically reinvest that money back into the community in various ways. Many also contribute between $30,000 and $40,000 in property taxes.
Tourists comprise between 70 per cent and 80 per cent of all business for about half of all shops downtown, L’Heureux-Mason continued. Many doors would close if not for tourists, especially since plenty of businesses generate most of their revenue in those six months.
In 2018 when the trolley was not running, five businesses reported seeing a decrease in sales.
Moose Jaw’s hotel occupancy rate per year sits around 61 per cent, compared to the provincial average of 51 per cent, according to Tourism Saskatchewan. The vacancy rate at all hotels and campgrounds — Tourism Moose Jaw has seen an increase in camping the last few years — was zero during this year’s air show, L’Heureux-Mason said, while most hotels should be full during February’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Sights and destinations
The top destination is the tunnels, followed by the spa and casino, which makes them the anchor pillars of the tourism industry, said L’Heureux-Mason, who thought it interesting that visitors who came here as children are now bringing their own kids.
Visitors are coming pre-educated about what they want to see, particularly local businesses, such as Cask 82, Rosie’s on River Street, axe throwing, and the escape room, which L’Heureux-Mason hears regularly is world-class. The Western Development Museum also draws massive crowds.
“We are a city that has a lot of history for being a young settlement,” she added, “so a lot of people are interested in the heritage buildings. We get asked a ton about that,” which is why daytime tours are popular.
The future
L’Heureux-Mason is confident that the spinoff from this year will roll into 2020. The gift horse that was the moose feud was great, but managing that publicity was a challenge. L’Heureux-Mason was thankful for the advice city hall provided and help in handling social media.
“When it’s in your hands, you don’t want to drop it,” she said. “We learned what keeps things going versus how to stop a conversation quickly. Sometimes answering questions too quickly stops a conversation.”
The main project in 2020 will build on the notorious theme, of which Mac the Moose will feature prominently. Since the 1920s were a heyday for the community, Tourism Moose Jaw wants to segue to a new Roaring ’20s with many activities.
“We want to help businesses play up the questionable parts of our past” since they each have a story to tell, said L’Heureux-Mason, who noted the community’s history plays a big factor in why it is the way it is.
“It’s going to be good,” she added. “We have a decade to play with that (theme) … It will be a lot of fun.”
