The Badlands of Alberta were front and centre on the agenda of Alberta’s Minister of Tourism last week in the hopes of developing a closer working relationship with Badlands attractions.
Minister Christine Cusanelli was invited by Canadian Badlands for a tour of the area. Indications are the tour went well.
“I think it went very well. We were lucky to receive from the minister a three day commitment to really get to know the entire Canadian Badlands region,” said Bob Davis, executive director for Canadian Badlands. “It was a good opportunity to showcase everything the region has.”
The tour started on Wednesday, August 15 in Drumheller, with tours to sites such as the Royal Tyrrell Museum, World’s Largest Dinosaur, Fossil World, a helicopter ride, and a tour of the Badlands Community Facility.
The tour is the first time Minister Cusanelli has visited the Badlands in an official capacity.
“She was very receptive and she seemed to enjoy herself,” said Mayor Terry Yemen, who gave the tour of the Community Facility. “She was very impressed with it and said Drumheller should be proud, as a community of 8,000, to have built such a facility. It’s great because she’s a player in an industry we’re really involved in.”
The tour also gave an opportunity for the people who run the area’s attractions to meet the minister face to face. During a luncheon at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, many attraction operators visited and were able to talk with Minister Cusanelli.
“The other key element was to meet the people who run the tourist attractions. You can’t negotiate things until you meet the people involved,” said Davis.
After Drumheller, the tour proceeded to places such as Dinosaur Provincial Park, Medicine Hat, and Blackfoot Crossing.
The tour was meant to be an informal showcase of what is offered in the Badlands. Davis hopes the potential spin off is a closer working relationship with the minister and her office.
“It was a good way to get to know us, because we know in the future we’ll have those targeted discussions. We wanted to increase awareness from the minister, so when we need signage improvements, new attractions, investments, or any opportunities that come along we can go to the minister or one of her colleagues,” said Davis.
“For example, one of the keys to tourism is good signage. Signage is governed by Alberta Transportation. So what we need is the Minister of Tourism to see where signage is good and where it’s needed. When we go to her and say we need improved signage, she can help achieve that goal. The future benefit is being able to tackle challenges down the road with her support.”
