Lethbridge tourism gets boost as city moves forward with development plan

Lethbridge may be seeing a boost in tourists over the next decade.

On Monday, city council approved the Destination Management Plan (DMP), a project to manage and market tourism over the next 10 years in Lethbridge.

Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman said the plan is a shared vision that holds great potential for growth.

“It unearths the potential of the tourism industry here in Lethbridge which is very exciting to see,” Spearman said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It unearths the potential of the tourism industry here in Lethbridge which is very exciting to see," Spearman said.

“It also clearly identifies our areas of opportunity.”

READ MORE: Record number of foreign tourists fly into Alberta in August: ATB Financial 

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The plan intends to use the size and location of Lethbridge to focus on two primary travel motivators: sport tourism and business event hosting.

The city will also market its arts, culture, heritage, and indigenous and natural assets, not only to draw in tourists, but also to extend the length of their stay.

Chair of the Tourism Strategy Committee, Coun. Bridget Mearns, said the project will benefit Lethbridge in more ways than just economically.

“The benefits of tourism go beyond the economic impact of having people visit our city,” Mearns said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The benefits of tourism go beyond the economic impact of having people visit our city," Mearns said.

“It also helps increase community pride, preserves natural and cultural resources and creates employment opportunities.”

READ MORE: Alberta government hopes to build off tourism boom in the Rockies 

The DMP is the culmination of a 13-month-long process spearheaded by the Tourism Strategy Committee.

The committee — made up of representatives from city council, Economic Development Lethbridge, Chinook Country Tourism Association, Lethbridge Lodging Association, Lethbridge Sports Council and citizens — incorporated feedback from the community and tourism industry into its proposal.

Council also approved the creation of a new, separate organization that will strictly focus on growing tourism and help move the DMP forward.

The city will be required to design a strategy that outlines funding, transition, and implementation of the plan by April 2017. The province of Alberta has already provided $90,000 to prepare the plan.