BARRHEAD - Town of Barrhead councillors are reserving their decision on whether the municipality will join a new regional marketing tourism organization.
On March 11, Northwest of 16 Regional Tourist Association board chair Walter Preugschas and fellow executive member Marvin Polis asked councillors to have the municipality join the association.
Membership for municipalities is $1,000 annually and $50 for tourism operators, businesses and Indigenous communities. The association currently has 15 members, including two municipalities, the County of Barrhead and Lac Ste. Anne County.
Councillors accepted the duo's presentation as information.
Preugschas, also a County of Barrhead councillor, said the not-for-profit association is still in its infancy, officially launched in December. It sprung from the ashes of WILD Alberta, the tourism brand of GROWTH Alberta, one of nine regional economic development alliances (REDAs) in the province. Their purpose is to create economic activity through marketing.
GROWTH's membership roster was in the teens at once, but in recent years, that number has dwindled. It now has three members: Woodlands County, Swan Hills, and Mayerthorpe.
"What we were able to take away from WILD is that there needs to be a regional tourism association that is just focused on tourism and driven by tourism operators, not by municipalities," he said.
Preugschas said the association's goal is to create a sustainable tourism industry in the north of Highway 16 and west of Highway 2 region, which "enriches the lives of tourists and locals by showcasing the natural beauty, cultural heritage and unique attractions of the area."
Polis, a St. Albert business owner and a former general manager of WILD, said the association hopes to target potential tourists from the greater Edmonton region through its social media presence and website, which is scheduled to launch in the spring. The site, which is still being populated, will also include an interactive map with upwards of 100 entries.
"We will also get involved in the tradeshow, exhibitor presentations and providing a forum for networking, support and mentoring," he said.
Polis added mentoring other tourism operators in the area is especially important.
"In that respect, it is like a Chamber of Commerce for tourism operators," he said.
Polis said the association's task is to get potential tourists to consider the area a region, not as separate individual communities.
He added that the association will focus on the activities, especially through its website.
"Tourists don't go somewhere because of where it is, but more of what they can do when they get there. They want to go mountain biking, fishing, quadding, or any other activity and then look for a place to do those things. That is how they see it, and that is what we need to deliver our information."
Coun. Dave Sawatzky asked how many businesses are members of the association.
Preugschas said 13 of the 15 members are either businesses or not-for-profit organizations.
Sawatzky then asked if the Northwest of 16 received any funding from Travel Alberta.
Unfortunately, Polis said that before a destination marketing organization is eligible for Travel Alberta funding, they need to be in operation for at least two years.
However, Preugschas said they hope they might make an exception due to many of the board member's past association with WILD Alberta.
In addition to Polis, Preugschas served on GROWTH Alberta's board as the County of Barrhead municipal representative.
But until then, he said, the association is operated entirely through volunteers.
Coun. Ty Assaf asked if an area attraction or business had to be a member to be included on Northwest of 16's website.
"For example, if the [Barrhead Centennial Museum] wasn't a member," he asked.
Both Polis and Preugschas said no.
"Absolutely, we want to take the high ground because that is the type of information tourists want and expect," Polis said. "But municipalities and businesses that choose to join us will likely have a higher ranking."
Assaf then asked if the association and the area it wanted to serve competed with the Alberta Capital Region.
"You are not going to be riding a quad or a dirt bike or going snowmobiling within the City of Edmonton," Polis said. "It's a different tourist experience. The capital region is urban, and arguably, St. Albert is also urban, so we are competing, but not competing."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
