Watch above: A new grassroots provincial tourism campaign promotes open spaces and living skies. Aaron Streck finds out how it’s playing with the public.
SASKATOON – It’s laid out clear and simple on provincial plates. It’s said to be the only place where you can lose your dog and watch it run away for four days.
Tourism Saskatchewan’s new ad campaign has gone back to what the province is best known for.
“Our land and sky, absolutely our sky, time and space, people feel time slows down when they come to Saskatchewan, they can relax, they can connect with their family and friends and that sense of community,” said Jonathan Potts, Tourism Saskatchewan’s marketing executive director.
“Calgary had the mountains, B.C. does the lakes, every area does … it is stereotypical but that’s the nature of some of the tourism things,” said David Williams, University of Saskatchewan’s Edwards School of Business associate marketing professor.
In recent years, Tourism Saskatchewan has focused on provincial experiences but over the next five years the aim is to tell the story of Saskatchewan, the first two chapters began airing Saturday.
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“On Thursday, like I said, at noon we posted them on Facebook, by supper-time I think we had 9,000 views, next morning we had 25,000 and this morning we’re up to 115,000 views,” said Potts.
“In our marketing we tend to talk about Saskatoon as a very vibrant urban destination with shopping and dining and festivals and events, obviously they’ve gone in a different approach but it is in line with a lot of other destinations,” said Tourism Saskatoon’s Amy Stewart-Nun.
The simple concept is sitting well with residents and visitors anxious to explore.
Eighty to 85 per cent of the province’s tourists are from our own back yard or Alberta and that’s where these ads are directed, encouraging Saskatchewan exploration.
Tourism Saskatchewan’s provincial story will expand to the north and cities over the next four years.
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