Rocky View County (RVC) hopes to attract visitors and boost its tourism sector by partnering with the Canadian Badlands Tourism Association.
“I look forward to promoting the diversity of RVC as a member of the Canadian Badlands Tourism partnership,” Reeve Greg Boehlke said via press release following council’s unanimous decision to join the association at its regular meeting Jan. 14.
“The Badlands region is known for its stunning landscapes, historical significance and cultural richness, and I’m delighted the County is now a partner in promoting this diversity.”
According to David Kalinchuk, manager of Economic Development, his department has been considering membership in the association since July 2010.
“Now that RVC has established a foundation of successful tourism-related businesses…the Business & Economic Development department felt this was an opportune time to explore membership.”
Previously, Kalinchuk said, tourism opportunities in Bragg Creek had been promoted through a regional association called Cool Little Towns since December 2014.
“As of November 2019, Cool Little Towns was disbanded, leaving a void in our promotion of tourism in RVC,” Kalinchuk said. “The other component to this is that RVC also has significant and growing tourism investment potential beyond just Bragg Creek – in places like Langdon, Balzac and Springbank, with rural attractions throughout the County such as Pioneer Acres Museum near Beiseker, North Bow Lodge near Dalemead, Calaway Park and so on.”
Membership in Canadian Badlands Tourism Association would serve the entire county, Kalinchuk said, augmenting investment attraction in RVC’s growing tourism sector.
“Retail and entertainment businesses in RVC see over 10-million visitors a year,” he said via press release. “Our membership in Canadian Badlands will add to their estimated 5.5-million annual visitors. Under the world-class Canadian Badlands banner, all businesses within the Canadian Badlands partnership will benefit – a rising tide raises all ships.”
According to Lonna Hoggan, executive director of Canadian Badlands – the wife of RVC CAO Al Hoggan – the association was founded 14 years ago with the goal to “turn [the Canadian Badlands region] into an iconic tourism destination,” and is the largest tourism partnership in Canada, extending from the Montana border to Donalda and from the Saskatchewan border to Highway 2.
More than 60 municipalities are members in the association, including Irricana and Beiseker, along with neighbouring Wheatland County and Kneehill County, and the association provides a united regional voice on tourism fronts.
“A lot of them are smaller communities,” Hoggan said. “Currently, the largest ones are Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.”
Hoggan said much of the association’s work focuses on marketing local attractions. According to the press release, area businesses can be listed on the association’s online directory, which is shared across “multiple marketing channels,” and membership gives the County access to new funding opportunities through grants.
The cost of membership in the association will be $20,000. According to Kalinchuk, his department has budgeted for the expenditure.
“It’s good to hear that we’re pushing with tourism initiatives now,” said Coun. Mark Kamachi. “That’s always been a goal of mine as a councillor.”
