Unique opportunities found in Medicine Hat, like high-quality golf courses for athletes of all skill levels, are one of the many factors contributing to a growing tourism industry, local experts say.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Local tourism industry officials are optimistic Medicine Hat will welcome a sizable number of visitors throughout the summer months, whether they be tourists, seasonal workers or individuals travelling for other purposes.
Like many city around the world, Medicine Hat experienced a decline in visitors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. With visitors contributing money to the local economy and providing support for the city’s unique cultural features, the loss was noticeable, and something important to recover in recent years, Tourism Medicine Hat executive director Jace Anderson told the News.
“We started last year, feeling cautiously optimistic but the year, in a lot of ways, went better than we might have anticipated,” said Anderson. “So, this year, I have playfully and boldly dropped the word ‘cautious’ in my optimism.
“I think the summer of 2023 is going to be a great summer for Medicine Hat (as I think) there’s going to be a significant number of visitors in our community for lots of different reasons.”
Based on 2022 data, Anderson expects a general influx of visitors travelling for leisure.
“Leisure is a growing sector for us,” said Anderson. “We benefit from the nature of our location as our river valley, our coulees, the sunshine, the trails, all of those opportunities really draw people in. Sports and events are back, and really in full swing, and they are a wonderful draw for us.”
While Anderson finds a large portion of leisure travellers are from Alberta or surrounding provinces, the city also draws visitors from across Canada, the U.S. and the world.
“We’re uniquely situated on the on Highways 1 and 3, and so we see a lot of long-haul traffic,” he said, emphasizing that even if long-haul travellers only stop in Medicine Hat for a brief break from the road, positive experiences here might incentivize an extension of their stay or a future return trip.
As well as those travelling for leisure, Anderson says the city welcomes large numbers of visitors travelling for work.
“We see significant business travel, and that’s blue collar and white collar,” said Anderson. “For all the work that’s happening in our region, we have the majority of those accommodations, and so we (have become) a hub.”
Elisha Ammann, executive director of the Medicine Hat Accommodation Association, a nonprofit member organization representing six local hotels, and which facilitates partnerships between the hotels and local businesses, feels much the same.
Ammann says once the warm-weather months arrive, many local accommodations are filled with workers during the week and leisure travellers on the weekend, though sometimes there is an overall mix regardless the time of week.
While Ammann agrees that Medicine Hat is naturally attractive due to its location and the unique features related to that; she also believes its attraction comes from community efforts to attract visitors.
“We are starting to see a slight increase over pre-pandemic numbers, and I do think it’s because Medicine Hat had such great offerings, like people, our amenities and our great value … And really, it’s our whole community that contributes to that, I think.”
In an effort to further generate interest in the community, Ammann and her coworkers at MHAA have long worked to offer unique package experiences which highlight local businesses, while providing visitors entertainment, like golf packages and brewery tours.
“Medicine Hat is busier than what most people think,” she said. “Our hotel association members (expect) it’s going to be another busy summer here.”
