Manitoba encompasses Treaty 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Territories and communities who are signatories to Treaties 6 and 10. Manitoba is located on the ancestral land of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline and Nehethowuk Nations and is the Homeland of the Red River Métis. Northern Manitoba includes lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit. Travel Manitoba respects the spirit and intent of Treaties and Treaty Making and remains committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration.
WEKUSKO FALLS LODGE
POPLAR RIVER
PHOTO: WILDHOUSE MEDIA
Message from the Chair
On behalf of Travel Manitoba’s Board of Directors, I am pleased to present our 2023–24 Annual Report.
This past year, we were buoyed by positive signs of the recovery of Manitoba’s visitor economy. In particular, spending levels by visitors in Manitoba now far exceed 2019 levels, allowing us to truly see a future beyond the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. While visitation has not yet fully rebounded, Manitoba’s tourism recovery is ahead of the Canadian average. We saw significant recovery in Manitoba’s fishing sector this year, bolstered by the return of key U.S. flights and the success of our Prairie Angling Program, with support from Destination Canada. We saw the return of major conferences and were pleased to host the Student & Youth Travel Association conference, the Education Travel Consortium conference and Sport Events Congress, among others.
Amidst these favourable developments, the work of the Travel Manitoba team remained firmly focused on the key pillars of the corporation’s business plan: to lead brand and market positioning, advance destination management, foster collaboration and build support for tourism, and drive organizational excellence and efficiency. I would like to thank President and CEO Colin Ferguson for his leadership, as the organization continues to demonstrate extremely high levels of employee engagement, with over 90 per cent of employees reporting they are proud to work at Travel Manitoba. A much deserved thank you as well to all the dedicated staff of Travel Manitoba for their work in helping us achieve our goals.
In my role as new Board Chair, I was pleased to welcome several new directors this year: Tim Johnston, (Vice-Chair), Trevor Clearwater, John Gunter, Ida Albo, Patrick McKay and Pit Turenne. Along with continuing board members Sara Stasiuk, Drew Fisher and Hijab Mitra, they bring with them invaluable expertise and a commitment to maintaining the highest standards in corporate governance, management and accountability.
I would also like to offer my thanks to outgoing Board Chair Stuart Murray, Vice-Chair Tara Elder-Young, and Directors Simon Resch, Maureen Hrechkosy, Ginette Lavack, Karen Chrest, Tim Daniels and Floyd North for their terms of service.
Moving forward, Travel Manitoba is well positioned to build on the successes detailed in this report. The Government of Manitoba and the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, partners with Travel Manitoba in advancing the goals of the Manitoba Tourism Strategy, remain committed to increasing visitor spending by 50 per cent to $2.5 billion in 2030 and growing visitation by 19 per cent to 12.8 million visitors. These are ambitious goals that will transform the local economies of Manitoba communities. With the support of Manitobans and our industry and business partners, I am confident that together we will realize the vision.
Carole Vivier Chair of the Board of Directors
Travel Manitoba
Message from the CEO
Along with Travel Manitoba’s vision, mission and targets for growth, our corporate values are the guiding principles for our work. In 2023, an employee-led team developed the statements now proudly displayed in our office boardroom. The successes outlined in the following pages reflect and expand upon these core values.
At Travel Manitoba, we:
Proudly celebrate the people and lands of Manitoba. Our annual marketing campaigns unabashedly celebrate the traditions and cultures of Manitoba and encourage visitors to explore the natural beauty of Manitoba’s diverse landscapes. Travel Manitoba works to ensure that urban, rural and northern experiences are all well represented to potential visitors. This past year we’ve advanced Indigenous, Francophone and Northern tourism strategies, and have worked to increase awareness of high-potential destinations outside of Winnipeg (pages 24 to 25).
Foster the development of our people and our industry. We strive to achieve organizational excellence through progressive and professional human resource practices, strong leadership, continuous learning, innovation and experimentation. We’re proud of our organizational culture and high levels of employee engagement (page 27).
We’ve made strides in providing Manitoba’s tourism industry with access to business advice, training, best practices and funding sources. Through an increased emphasis on destination management, we’re working to create a stronger enabling environment for tourism growth, build industry capacity, support the development and enhancement of experiences, and strengthen community and regional development.
Lead with creativity and are backed by data. Our creative brand execution has placed us amongst destination heavyweights for brand recognition, including being one of four finalists in the Travel and Tourism category of the World Media Awards. It is equally important that creative strategies are backed by research and our team has led important research into workforce labour issues, economic impact studies of various tourism activities and destinations, and identifying the needs of newcomers in order for them to take part in tourism experiences (page 22).
Value inclusivity and sustainability.
Our team is committed to inclusivity, leading us to initiate an organization-wide learning opportunity in partnership with Legacy Bowes and Tipi Group of Companies. The Reconciliation for Business program will allow us to deepen our knowledge of Indigenous history and find strategies to take action related to our business objectives.
Inspired by the sustainability achievements at The Forks, where our office is located, we initiated an Office Sustainability Working Group to develop sustainable practices, processes and procedures for office operations that align with The Forks Target Zero program.
Live our brand. Manitoba is at the heart of what we do. Manitoba truly is at the heart of what we do and our refreshed brand continues to resonate with residents and visitors alike. With the award-winning Canada’s Heart is Calling brand, collaborative industry partners and an array of transformative demand-generating visitor experiences, our team is working diligently and enthusiastically to bolster our cities, towns and communities as must-visit destinations, generating economic growth and benefitting Manitobans for years to come.
In May of 2023, we wished a fond farewell to Travel Manitoba’s Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer and longtime employee, Brigitte Sandron. For over 30 years, Brigitte was a driving force in the development of Manitoba’s tourism industry and worked to stimulate tourism growth and enhance the industry’s competitiveness. Her vision and passion for the industry, along with her dedication to coaching, mentoring and caring for her team, earned her the respect of her colleagues in the organization and across the country.
At the same time, Travel Manitoba welcomed new talent to its ranks, including Chief Operating Officer, Angela Cassie and Vice-President of Finance, Operations and Visitor Services, Heidi Thomas. This is an exciting time for Travel Manitoba and for our tourism industry. I look forward to working with our strong and visionary board, our bright and creative team and a supportive provincial government to achieve long term, sustainable tourism growth in Manitoba.
Colin Ferguson
President
& CEO
Travel Manitoba
About Travel Manitoba
CORPORATE VALUES
ɰ We proudly celebrate the people and lands of Manitoba.
ɰ We foster the development of our people and our industry.
ɰ We lead with creativity and are backed by data.
ɰ We value inclusivity and sustainability.
ɰ We live our brand. Manitoba is at the heart of what we do.
VISION
Manitoba is a must-visit, four season destination generating significant and sustainable economic growth by delivering inspiring and authentic experiences in its unique urban, rural and wild settings.
MISSION
Travel Manitoba will support the recovery of tourism’s contribution to the provincial economy and will stimulate long-term growth by leading the marketing of Manitoba as a tourism destination and by fostering a competitive and sustainable tourism industry.
TARGETS
ɰ Grow visitor spending 50 per cent to $2.5 billion by 2030
ɰ Grow visitation to 12.8 million visitors annually by 2030
GOALS
ɰ Lead Brand and Market Positioning
ɰ Advance Destination Management
ɰ Foster Collaboration and Build Support for Tourism
ɰ Drive Organizational Excellence and Efficiency
Industry Performance
VISITATION AND VISITOR SPENDING
In early June 2023, we asked Tourism Economics to revisit the visitation and spending forecast for Manitoba’s tourism economy after Statistics Canada released preliminary data indicating 2022 visitor spending had eclipsed 2019 levels.
The significant shift in recovery points to a return to 2019 visitation levels by 2024, while international visitation is not expected to recover until 2026. Under a downside scenario, visitation could return to 2019 levels for domestic visitors by 2026 and by 2027 for international visitors to Manitoba.
FORECASTED VISITOR SPENDING IN MANITOBA IN THREE SCENARIOS
($CAD, millions, nominal)
Source: Statistics Canada, Tourism Economics June 2023
EAGLE NEST LODGE
FORECASTED VISITOR ARRIVALS TO MANITOBA IN THREE SCENARIOS
(Visitors in 000s)
Source: Statistics Canada August 2023, Tourism Economics June 2023
F = Final data
Year at a Glance
Northern lights experiences became more popular than ever after a joint U.S. focused campaign with our partners and Destination Canada that resulted in a 119 per cent lift in search interest for northern lights experiences and featured Manitoba, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
Manitoba’s fishing sector rebounded thanks in part to our three-year Prairie Angling Program partnership with Destination Canada and Tourism Saskatchewan to promote fishing experiences in key U.S. markets. As a direct result, non-resident angling licence sales have fully recovered to pre-pandemic sales levels in 2023–24.
Major events returned to Winnipeg in 2023, boosting Manitoba’s economy and solidifying our reputation as a great host. Events like the 2023 World Police and Fire Games, the Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA) conference, the Educational Travel Consortium conference and Sport Events Congress drew thousands of delegates, participants and spectators to the province.
PHOTO:
Manitoba was celebrated on the global stage when the Canada’s Heart is Calling brand awareness campaign was recognized as a finalist at the World Media Awards, alongside tourism giants Abu Dhabi, London and Wales.
The first joint Tourism Awards honoured operators, businesses, employees, volunteers, campaigns and events in Winnipeg and across the province. Hosted by Travel Manitoba and Tourism Winnipeg, the sold out event drew nearly 400 people.
Strong employee engagement among our staff put Travel Manitoba in the top 75th percentile of companies surveyed. Our team loves what they do!
Over $1 million of partnership revenue resulted from our innovative program that offers cost effective means of advertising and promotion in Manitoba’s key target markets.
PHOTO: DAN HARPER
PHOTO: DAN HARPER
Year in Review
LEAD BRAND AND MARKET POSITIONING
WEBSITE RESULTS AND HIGHLIGHTS
ɰ 1.4 million website visitors
ɰ 1.85 million website sessions
ɰ 43% of visitors from Manitoba
ɰ 80% of visitors from Canada
ɰ 13% of visitors from the U.S.
ɰ 1.1 million blog webpage views
ɰ 1:26 minutes average time spent on blog webpage
ɰ 8,273 Manitoba Explorer App subscribers
ɰ AudioEye–added a new accessibility feature to Travel Manitoba’s website
ɰ Weglot–introduced a translation tool for Travel Manitoba’s web properties
SOCIAL MEDIA RESULTS
ɰ 171,000 Instagram followers
ɰ 157,400 Facebook fans
ɰ 45,100 TikTok followers
ɰ 37,400 X (formerly Twitter) followers
E-NEWSLETTER RESULTS
ɰ 56,131 subscribers
ɰ 19.8% open rate
ɰ 2.43% click-through rate
VIDEO RESULTS
ɰ 8.6 million Giphy views
ɰ 5.01 million YouTube video views
BANDWANGO PASS RESULTS
ɰ 449 total passes sold
ɰ $8,790.05 paid directly to local businesses
SPRING SUMMER CAMPAIGN
Campaign in Market
ɰ April to September
Goal
ɰ Drive overnight bookings
ɰ Increase awareness of attractions and experiences
ɰ Generate leads to partners
Markets
PRIMARY
ɰ Manitoba
SECONDARY
ɰ Alberta
ɰ Saskatchewan
ɰ Northwest Ontario
ɰ North Dakota
ɰ California
SPRING SUMMER CAMPAIGN
In 2023–24, we:
ɰ Hosted the North Dakota Today news team from Fargo for live-on-location spots as well as on-air advertising in Winnipeg.
ɰ Partnered with CTV for 10 on-air live segments featuring museums and attractions in Winnipeg and around the province.
ɰ Developed sponsored content with the Globe and Mail, Canadian Geographic, Explore Magazine, Avenue Calgary, La Liberté, North Dakota Today, Ciao! Magazine, 103.1 Virgin Radio and CJNU 93.7 FM Nostalgia Radio.
ɰ Sponsored and produced Tagalog marketing content to reach Filipino residents.
ɰ Distributed 45,000 copies of a summer northern lure piece to Manitobans.
ɰ Partnered with Lonely Planet to run a targeted “Swipe, Save, Go” social media promotion featuring Manitoba partners on Instagram.
PROMOTION RESULTS
∙ 2.3 million impressions
∙ 2,000 clicks
∙ 6 partners
ɰ Partnered with Air Canada to promote flights to Winnipeg.
PROMOTION RESULTS
∙ 252 bookings
∙ 28% lift overall
∙ 37% lift in Ottawa, Montréal and Toronto
ɰ Promoted WestJet’s new non-stop route between Winnipeg and Atlanta.
PROMOTION RESULTS
∙ 3,382 flight bookings
∙ 583,754 ad engagements
∙ 125 million digital ad impressions
∙ 87 million signage impressions in Atlanta airport
∙ 27,000 digital ad clicks
ST. MALO PROVINCIAL PARK PHOTO: HANDCRAFT
Campaign Evaluation
We surveyed Manitobans to evaluate the 2023 Spring Summer Campaign’s effect on their travel intentions.
ɰ Twenty nine per cent of respondents indicated their perception of Manitoba as a travel destination improved after viewing select video advertisements. This represents a slight decline from previous surveys.
IMPACT OF ADS ON OPINION OF MANITOBA AS A TRAVEL DESTINATION
Decreasing impact of the ads on Manitobans’ view of the province as a tourism destination
Source: Probe Research
ɰ Seventy three percent of Manitobans were motivated to consider a trip in the province when Travel Manitoba’s Inspiration Guide was first distributed in the spring of 2023. By December, the number had fallen slightly.
INFLUENCE OF THE GUIDE ON DESIRE TO TRAVEL
Slightly fewer Manitobans were motivated by the 2023 Inspiration Guide to ponder a trip
Source: Probe Research
CAMPAIGN BY THE NUMBERS
2,841 hotel bookings
1,211 airline tickets
$800,000 gross bookings
159,420 business leads to partners
729,669 website visits
45,000 northern lures distributed
93 hosted media and influencers
14,235 sign-ups and contest entries
108 million impressions
1.58 million clicks/engagements
$6,000 Bandwango pass sales
2.25 million campaign video views
FALL WINTER CAMPAIGN
Campaign in Market
ɰ October to March
Goal
ɰ Drive overnight bookings
ɰ Increase awareness of attractions and experiences
ɰ Generate leads to partners
Markets
PRIMARY
ɰ Manitoba
ɰ Alberta
ɰ Ontario (Greater Toronto Area)
ɰ North Dakota
SECONDARY
ɰ Québec
ɰ California (Los Angeles)
ɰ Georgia (Atlanta)
In 2023–24, we:
ɰ Partnered with Porter Airlines to promote their new non-stop flight route between Winnipeg and Toronto.
ɰ Partnered with Air Canada to promote flights to Winnipeg.
PROMOTION RESULTS
∙ 310 bookings
∙ 20.6 million impressions
∙ 2 million clicks
∙ 12.26% click-through rate
ɰ Promoted winter experiences in Maclean’s and Escapism magazines as well as La Liberté newspaper, and through online publishers Daily Hive and BlogTO.
ɰ Featured partners with Tripadvisor and with Expedia’s packages and deals.
TRIPADVISOR PROMOTION RESULTS
∙ 1.8 million impressions
∙ 3,875 clicks
∙ 0.22% click-through rate
EXPEDIA PROMOTION RESULTS
∙ 3.2 million impressions
∙ 7,467 clicks
∙ 0.23% click-through rate
ɰ Partnered with the Ace Burpee team from Bell Media to explore winter in Manitoba and promote the experiences through their social channels and on air.
ɰ Distributed 250,000 copies of the 2024 Inspiration Guide in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Ontario and North Dakota.
ɰ Distributed 50,000 copies of a winter northern lure to households in central and southern Manitoba and through our Visitor Information Centres.
ɰ Reached millions of potential travellers through Destination Canada’s northern lights campaign marketed to key U.S. destinations.
ɰ Launched a northern lights campaign for Mandarinspeaking audiences located in the Greater Toronto Area.
ɰ Started advertising United Airlines’ new non-stop Chicago and Denver flight routes which will begin in May.
UNITED AIRLINES DENVER & CHICAGO (MARCH 15-MARCH 31) PROMOTION RESULTS
∙ 3.2 million impressions
∙ 1 million video impressions
∙ 18,496 clicks
∙ 0.57% click-through rate
Campaign Survey Results
We surveyed Manitobans to evaluate the 2023–24 Fall Winter Campaign’s effect on their travel intentions.
ɰ Our fall direct mail brochure on Northern Manitoba motivated 83 per cent of respondents who recalled seeing the brochure to consider a trip to Northern Manitoba, an increase of eight per cent from previous surveys.
IMPACT OF BROCHURE ON NORTHERN TRIPS
Those who saw the brochure this year were more motivated to consider a Northern trip
Source: Probe Research
Merchandise
*Caution: Small Base
Travel Manitoba continues to grow its branded merchandise program with new seasonal additions like our best-selling honey dill hot sauce from local company 1882 Fruit-Based Hot Sauce. Our merchandise sales totalled $96,800 in 2023–24, with $25,000 worth of Hunt Fish merchandise sold at the Winnipeg Ice Fishing Show.
CAMPAIGN BY THE NUMBERS
14,108 hotel bookings
3,608 airline tickets
$2,998,000 gross bookings
159,720 business leads to partners
634,000 website visits
50,000 northern lures distributed
46 hosted media influencers
4,090 sign-ups and contest entries
117 million impressions
534,129 clicks/engagements
$12,968 Bandwango pass sales
3.8 million campaign video views
TRAVEL
HUNT FISH MARKETING
The Hunt Fish sector continues to recover as international travellers return from key U.S. markets. A new website, an expanded Hunt Fish lifestyle merchandise line and strategic partnerships bolster Travel Manitoba’s efforts to position the province as a premier destination for hunting and angling.
In 2023–24, we:
ɰ Partnered with Tourism Saskatchewan and Destination Canada for the second year of the Prairie Angling Program to promote fly-in, drive-to and ice fishing experiences in key U.S. markets. As a direct result, non-resident angling licence sales have fully recovered to pre-pandemic sales levels in 2023–24.
KEY FINDINGS
The 2023 Prairie Angling Program resulted in:
∙ 21,468 non-resident angling licence sales (increase of more than 20 per cent over 2022-23)
∙ 43 million digital and social ad impressions
∙ 4.3 million video views
∙ 845,500 radio ad impressions
∙ 143,300 clicks on digital and social ads
ɰ Created new video content with Passion for the Hunt TV, Lindner Media’s The Canadian Experience, Canada in the Rough, Peterson’s Bow Hunting Magazine, Jason Mitchell Outdoors, Clayton Shick Outdoors and local angling influencer Jay Siemens.
ɰ Created videos for Laurie River Lodge, Dunlop’s Fly-in Lodges, Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge, Gangler’s North Seal River Lodge, Harvest Lodge, Bakers Narrows Lodge and Clearwater Outfitters.
ɰ Produced hunting and fishing recipe segments for Hunt Fish Manitoba’s YouTube page.
ɰ Promoted the new non-stop flight from Atlanta to aspiring anglers in Florida and Texas.
KEY FINDINGS
∙ 6.7 million impressions
∙ 32,729 clicks
∙ 0.48% click-through rate
ɰ Refreshed the Master Angler brand to better align with the new Manitoba destination brand.
ɰ Promoted Manitoba fishing and hunting experiences to over 60,000 attendees at the World of Concrete trade show in Las Vegas.
Hunt Fish Results
WEBSITE RESULTS
ɰ 292,000 website visitors
ɰ 343,000 website sessions
ɰ 14.4% of visitors from Manitoba, 28.9% from Canada, 52.8% from U.S.
ɰ 217,644 blog webpage views
E-NEWSLETTER RESULTS
ɰ 7,466 subscribers
ɰ 40.9% open rate
ɰ 4.7% click-through rate
SOCIAL RESULTS
ɰ 21,500 Instagram followers
ɰ 30,800 Facebook fans
ɰ 21,700 TikTok followers
BAKERS NARROWS LODGE
L–R: Marcel Laferriere (Hunt Fish Content Consultant), Keevin Erickson (Hunt Fish Marketing Consultant) Josh McFaddin (Hunt Fish Social Media Consultant)
$36.9 M Earned Media Value
61 Sponsored Media Visits
Top earned media results from 2023–24 include:
ɰ Opoyastin: Wolves of the big wind by Alicia-Rae Light, Canadian Geographic magazine (Canada)
ɰ The Leaf is a feat of engineering and an ode to the Canadian Prairies by Adrian Madlener, Wallpaper* online magazine (United States)
ɰ In Search of Canada’s Great White Wonders by Alexis Buxton-Collins, Qantas in-flight magazine (Australia)
ɰ The answer to your prairies: Canada’s province of Manitoba is a long way away – but offers thrilling wildlife and a rich culture by Doug McKinlay, Daily Mail newspaper (United Kingdom)
ɰ Walk on the Wild Side by Guenter Kast, Free Men’s World magazine (Germany)
In 2023–24 we hosted key social media influencers who created content about Manitoba travel experiences to inspire their tens of thousands of followers.
ɰ @tylercarrfm, local radio personality and content creator (Manitoba)
ɰ @briannaseewald, an accessibility advocate and content creator (Manitoba)
ɰ @thecuriouscreature, Toronto travel and lifestyle content creator (Canada)
ɰ Animalogic, YouTube channel dedicated to topics on science and wildlife (Canada)
ɰ Supported North Star Tours and Heartland Tours to plan and execute world-class excursions for Silversea expedition cruise visitors while docked in Churchill.
ɰ Showcased Manitoba and Saskatchewan lodges and angling experiences during a familiarization tour (FAM) co-hosted with Tourism Saskatchewan which included private jet transfer between the lodges.
(Jonview, Discover Holidays, Canada by Design, Fresh Tracks)
(Virtuoso, Signature, Teach and Travel – SYTA, USTOA, Tauck)
(Canusa, CRD Touristik, Kanada Magazine, SK Touristik, 360 Prairie Minizine, CSP Event Hamburg–FVW lunch sponsorship)
ɰ Co-hosted the annual Student, Youth and Travel Association (SYTA) conference alongside Tourism Winnipeg with over 700 attending from Canada, U.S. and international destinations. Travel Manitoba hosted registered delegates on apost-conference familiarization tour to Churchill. 12 Trade Shows and Events Attended 29
ɰ Conducted appointments at two Destination Canada events with operators and media, including Showcase Europe (Germany, U.K. and France) and Focus Australia. The Travel Trade team networked and provided training to over 450 travel agents across three cities in Australia.
ɰ Established Manitoba’s presence at Rendez-vous Canada (RVC) in Québec City, along with 10 industry partners. Over 1,600 travel buyers, sellers and media attended from over 27 countries as well as representatives from Destination Canada and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC).
ɰ Welcomed over 300 delegates to the Education Travel Consortium’s (ETC) annual conference alongside Tourism Winnipeg and hosted registered delegates on a post-conference northern lights familiarization tour to Churchill.
MEETINGS, INCENTIVES, CONVENTIONS AND EVENTS
In 2023–24, we:
ɰ Collaborated with Tourism Winnipeg and Brandon First to secure meetings, incentive travel, conventions and events business.
ɰ Met with incentive travel buyers from the U.S. and around the world at Incentive Canada in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
ɰ Co-hosted the 2023 World Police and Fire Games with Tourism Winnipeg, bringing over 5,500 athletes, family members and friends to Winnipeg and venues throughout Manitoba, contributing more than $49.1 million to the provincial economy.
ɰ Co-hosted Sport Events Congress alongside Tourism Winnipeg with support from Brandon First at the RBC Winnipeg Convention Centre. Over 300 delegates attended from across Canada's $7.4 billion sport tourism industry, including national sport organizations, hoteliers, destination marketing organizations and sports-related groups.
AWARDS
Travel Manitoba’s work resonates not only with potential visitors, but also with the judges of marketing and communications excellence in both national and international awards competitions.
Canada’s Heart is Calling Brand (Campaign, Videos and Ad Creative)
ɰ Grand Winner, Commercial & Marketing Tourism, NYX Awards
ɰ Gold, Destination Marketing, Mobile App Category, Travel Weekly Magellan
ɰ Gold, Electronic Media/ Social Media/Interactive Media/Mobile App, Hermes Awards
2023 WORLD POLICE AND FIRE GAMES
Advance Destination Management
RESEARCH
Our Destination Management team regularly works with partners in industry, government and other tourism marketing organizations to gain the valuable insights of experts. From forecasts and economic impact studies to consumer and industry surveys, we rely on research and data to inform our strategic planning, shape our key initiatives and drive our decision making.
In 2023–24, we:
ɰ Shared Tourism Economics’ updated forecast and Statistics Canada’s preliminary 2022 data in a webinar with 133 industry professionals.
ɰ Developed a situation analysis for the fishing and hunting sector drawn from a survey of hunting and fishing lodges.
KEY FINDINGS
∙ Sector shows strong signs of recovery (61 per cent of U.S. customers in 2022, comparable to 64 per cent in 2019) and most operators’ 2023 bookings exceeded 2019 levels.
∙ Operators’ concerns: unlicensed outfitting, rights-based harvesting, licensing red tape and the sustainability of fish and wildlife populations in Manitoba.
∙ Operators’ challenges: attracting knowledgeable and reliable staff, taxes and fees, provincial licensing and regulations, competition from unlicensed operators, access issues and limited air service.
ɰ Assessed how other destinations promote and market accessible tourism experiences to visitors and foster improved accessibility within their destinations.
ɰ Researched target market demographics of newcomers, as well as marketing opportunities and the specific needs and gaps in connecting to these audiences, which resulted in plans for engagement sessions with several community groups.
ɰ Supported an economic impact assessment of tourism in Portage la Prairie with the results presented at a community session.
ɰ Travel Manitoba, along with the Brandon Area Community Foundation, supported Brandon Riverbank Discovery Centre in the purchase of necessary equipment to establish and maintain a winter trail network for both walking and cross-country skiing, drawing many more visitors than normal to the trails and to the centre’s winter trails maps page on their website.
ɰ Assessed the perceptions of how welcoming Manitoba is through a survey of 1,933 residents of Canada, including 475 Manitobans.
KEY FINDINGS
∙ Eighty per cent of Manitobans would welcome tourists in their community, with only Atlantic Canada and Albertans scoring higher.
∙ Canadians living outside Manitoba are likely to believe that great outdoor activities, wildlife viewing opportunities and great winter experiences are Manitoba’s greatest tourism assets.
∙ Manitobans put appealing festivals and events, compelling attractions and great wildlife viewing opportunities at the top of their list.
(2023: 76%)
“Manitoba is a welcoming province”
(2023: 52%)
“Manitoba is safe”
(2023: 73%)
“I’m proud to say I’m from Manitoba”
(2023: 76%)
“I take pride in making visitors feel welcome in Manitoba”
(2023: 81%)
“I’d welcome tourists in Manitoba”
(2023: 76%)
“Tourism improves quality of life in Manitoba”
(2023: 54%)
“Manitoba is becoming a better place to visit”
Source: Leger Research 2024
(2023: 78%)
“Boosting tourism is a good way to create jobs in Manitoba”
ɰ Conducted a survey of residents to gather insights into trail usage, barriers to winter trail use and desired amenities.
KEY FINDINGS
∙ Two thirds of Manitobans use trails (particularly younger adults and parents)
- One third use trails only in summer
- One third use trails year-round
∙ Besides cold temperatures, the next biggest barriers to winter trail use are lack of gear and concerns about falling.
ɰ Piloted a tool to assess the tourism readiness status of our industry database on a quarterly basis. The number of market- and export-ready tourism businesses in the province has grown from 840 at the end of 2022-23 to 955 at the end of 2023–24.
KEY FINDINGS
∙ 1,621 operators evaluated
∙ 192 export-ready businesses
∙ 763 market-ready businesses
∙ 469 visitor-ready businesses
∙ 197 doors open businesses
ɰ Evaluated status of tourism labour and workforce development in Manitoba through 30 interviews with industry stakeholders and a public survey of 800 residents.
The resulting research informed a tourism awareness campaign geared toward addressing negative perceptions of tourism.
KEY FINDINGS
∙ Employee expectations have shifted and include a desire for higher wages, a better work-life balance, advancement opportunities, and greater job stability and security.
∙ Stakeholders identified issues around worker shortage and availability of qualified candidates, employee recruitment and retention, and gaps in tourism support for rural communities (i.e. northern, Indigenous) and a lack of French bilingual staff.
∙ Stakeholders want to challenge ideas of tourism employment as only frontline, entry-level work and bring awareness to the breadth and depth of tourism and career opportunities within the industry.
BOYNE RIVER, CARMAN
PHOTO: PAUL EPP
NORTHERN TOURISM
To advance the Northern Manitoba Tourism Strategy in 2023–24, we:
ɰ Presented on the value of northern tourism at events, including the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce Economic Tour in the Flin Flon and Snow Lake region and at the University College of the North Conference.
ɰ In partnership with Snoman, contracted Probe Research to conduct an Economic Impact Study of snowmobiling in Manitoba and collect visitor spending data and insights about product development opportunities in the North.
KEY FINDINGS
∙ Snowmobiling added $113 million to the province’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), an increase from $70 million (2013) to $113 million (2023).
∙ Thirty per cent of current sledders and 19 per cent of potential sledders surveyed expressed interest in snowmobiling in the North.
∙ Current snowmobilers also have a significant interest in packages, guided experiences and other outdoor activities that can be done while on a snowmobiling trip.
ɰ Worked with Tourism Saskatchewan to support the creation of a development plan for Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach.
ɰ Supported a Northern Tourism Snowmobiling strategic planning session in Snow Lake, including a snowmobiling jurisdictional scan.
ɰ Presented at the Northern Arts and Food Workshop in The Pas on how we can support partners’ marketing and business efforts in the arts and culture sector and attended the facilitated workshop sessions.
Travel Manitoba works with Mike Goodyear, a Northern Tourism Consultant based in Churchill.
Mike Goodyear
Northern Tourism Consultant
CHURCHILL
PHOTO: BUILD FILMS
INDIGENOUS TOURISM
To advance the Indigenous Tourism Strategy in 2023–24, we:
ɰ Supported Indigenous Tourism Manitoba (ITM) to implement the Manitoba Indigenous Tourism Strategy, including assistance with its first Annual General Meeting and Conference, website, travel trade activities and organizational sustainability.
ɰ Supported the National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada (NIRSM) to complete phase one of its expansion plans. We conducted a jurisdictional scan to understand how residential school sites across Canada and around the world attract visitors, package product offerings and find partner support. Along with Parks Canada, we supported NIRSM to hire a consulting team to develop a request for proposal (RFP) for architectural plans and to create fundraising and capital plans to develop the museum as a major tourism destination.
ɰ Facilitated a Winter Tourism Planning Session with Clear Lake’s private stakeholders to strategize winter tourism concepts for the 2024 operating season. Ongoing meetings were held with Parks Canada to share outcomes of the stakeholder session and request support. Three innovative concepts emerged from the facilitated session, one of which included supporting the successful launch of an Indigenous-owned ice fishing village in January 2024.
ɰ Provided advocacy support on issues affecting tourism development opportunities and challenges in Riding Mountain National Park.
FRANCOPHONE TOURISM
To advance the Francophone Tourism Strategy in 2023–24, we:
ɰ Created more Francophone video assets, including the Rendez-vous Canada feature spot, seasonal campaign videos and branded user-generated content spots.
ɰ Enhanced all of our websites to improve our French Language Service offering.
ɰ Created bilingual assets for each pillar of our Spring Summer and Fall Winter campaigns, including videos and print ads.
ɰ Engaged with the Francophone Tourism Advisory Committee to advance Francophone Tourism Strategy initiatives.
ɰ Successfully completed and presented the findings of the Tourism Readiness Assessment for St. Boniface and Francophone Tourism in Manitoba. Efforts were initiated by the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (CDEM) to further enhance the Francophone sector’s preparedness through ongoing initiatives and leveraging insights from the tourism readiness assessment tool.
ɰ Provided support to Tourisme Riel and CDEM to bolster Francophone tourism development initiatives focused on event and business development.
TURTLE VILLAGE
LE MUSÉE DE SAINT-BONIFACE MUSEUM
PHOTO: LE MUSÉE DE SAINT-BONIFACE MUSEUM
PHOTO: TURTLE VILLAGE
Foster Collaboration and Build Support for Tourism
In 2023–24, we:
ɰ Celebrated the tourism industry at the first annual tourism awards luncheon, co-hosted with Tourism Winnipeg at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on October 19. Attendees included Premier Wab Kinew, Minister of Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism Glen Simard and Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham. The event followed Travel Manitoba’s Annual General Meeting.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING RESULTS
∙ 155 registered
∙ $2.8 million earned media value
∙ 14.6 million impressions
TOURISM AWARDS RESULTS
∙ 400 attendees
∙ $135,000 earned media value
∙ 4.4 million impressions
ɰ Advanced our relationship with members of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, and shared the importance of tourism with our business stakeholders at the Morden-Winkler (June 15-16), Flin Flon (October 17-19) and Steinbach/Niverville (November 8-9) Economic Development Tours.
ɰ Informed industry members and related professionals with the latest tourism insights, research, news and grant opportunities through our e-newsletter, Travel Currents.
KEY RESULTS
∙ 17% average open rate
∙ 1,750 subscribers
∙ 4% click-through rate
ɰ Built up a community on Travel Manitoba’s LinkedIn page by sharing industry news and insights over the past year.
KEY RESULTS
∙ 5,407 followers
∙ 5.5% engagement rate
∙ 15,744 clicks
2023 TOURISM AWARDS
Drive Organizational Excellence and Efficiency
In 2023–24, we:
ɰ Found that, according to results of an annual employee survey, 92 per cent of participating staff would recommend Travel Manitoba as a great place to work and all respondents would recommend our products and services. We are a Top Performer of companies surveyed, with an average positive score of 3.9 out of 5 on all our survey questions.
ɰ Welcomed 79,144 visitors to our Visitor Information Centres in 2023–24.
ɰ Reviewed and updated 14 operational policies to provide our staff, industry and government stakeholders transparency around our work practices and began work on an Artificial Intelligence policy to address the rapidly changing digital environment and prepare us for future change.
ɰ Developed an Accessibility Plan and Policy in August 2023 to ensure compliance and the delivery of quality materials for all audiences while setting the standard for our industry partners.
ɰ Began training for all staff through Legacy Bowes’ Reconciliation for Business program as part of our diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives.
NANUK OPERATIONS, CHURCHILL
PHOTO: DAN HARPER
PHOTO: JP MEDIA WORKS
Partnership and Industry Relations
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
We grow the tourism industry together with our partners. We work together by providing quality marketing opportunities for any budget, so that our partners can build their businesses and provide quality tourism experiences for visitors. Through collaboration and support, we help all Manitobans realize the benefits of tourism.
Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge
ALT Hotel Winnipeg
Arrowhead Family Resort
Arrowhead RV Park
Assiniboia Downs
Assiniboine Park Conservancy
Bakers Narrows Lodge
Bed and Breakfast Association of Manitoba
Bee2gether Bikes
Bell Aura Bed, Breakfast and Bistro
Best Western Plus Winnipeg Airport
Boreal Ranch
Bowerbird Stays
Brandon First
Brandon Tourism and Brandon Riverbank Inc.
Buffalo Point Resort
Calm Air International LP
Canad Inns Winter Wonderland
Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival
Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre
Canadian Museum for Human Rights
CDC–Beausejour Brokenhead Development Corporation
CDEM–Economic Development Council for Manitoba
Bilingual Municipalities
Central Manitoba Tourism
Churchill Northern Studies Centre
Churchill Wild
Ciao! Dine About Winnipeg
City of Flin Flon
City of Selkirk
Clear Lake Country
Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum
Community Futures
Community Futures West Interlake
Cripple Creek Campground
Culture Days Manitoba
Dalnavert Museum and Visitor’s Centre
Dauphin’s Countryfest
Days Inn Steinbach
Dead Horse Creek Speedway
Delta Hotels Winnipeg
Destination Canada
Dunlop’s Fly-in Lodge and Outposts
Eastman Tourism
Elkhorn Resort, Spa and Conference Centre
Enigma Escapes
Exchange District BIZ
Falcon Beach Ranch
Falcon Trails Resort
Festival du Voyageur
Fire and Water Music Festival
Folklorama
Fort la Reine Museum
FortWhyte Alive
Four Points by Sheraton
Winnipeg South
STEPHENFIELD PROVINCIAL PARK
Frontiers North Adventures
Gimli Glider Museum
Gimli International Film Festival
Gourmet Inspirations Canada
Great White Bear Tours Inc.
Gull Harbour Marina and The Lighthouse Inn
Harvest Lodge on Waterhen River
Hilton Winnipeg Airport Suites
Holiday Alley
Holiday Inn Winnipeg Airport West
Holiday Inn Winnipeg South
Holiday Mountain Resort
Hudson Bay Helicopters
Icebound Excursions
Icelandic Festival of Manitoba
Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada
Indigenous Tourism Manitoba Inn at The Forks
Inn on Centre
Interlake Tourism Association
International Peace Garden
KB Marketing
Kendrick’s Outdoor Adventures
Lac du Bonnet CDC
Lady of the Lake Lakehouse
Lakeview Hotels and Resorts
Laurie River Lodge
Lazy Bear Expeditions
Lazy Days Retreat
Lilac Resort RV Lodging and Water Park
Lily Stone Gardens and Cafe
Manito Ahbee Festival
Manitoba Agricultural Museum and Campground
Manitoba Association of Campgrounds and Parks
Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Manitoba Chambers of Commerce
Manitoba Children’s Museum
Manitoba Government Communications and Engagement
Manitoba Electrical Museum and Education Centre
Manitoba Hotel Association
Manitoba LGBT* Chamber of Commerce
Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries
Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association
Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
Manitoba Threshermen’s Reunion and Stampede
Masagana Flower Farm and Studio
Mennonite Heritage Village
Mere Hotel
Minnedosa Tourism
Moon Gate Guest House
Moonlit Canopy
Morden Corn and Apple Festival
Morden-Winkler
Motel 6 Headingley – Winnipeg West
Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum
Nanuk Operations
National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada
Nature’s Edge Tourism Co.
New Iceland Heritage Museum
Norwood Hotel
Oak Haven Oasis
Outlet Collection Winnipeg
Parks Canada
Pinawa Golf and Country Club
Pineridge Hollow
Portage Regional Economic Development
Portage Potato Festival
Prairie Berry
Prairie Gateway Tourism
Prairie View Municipality
Pride Winnipeg Festival
Quality Inn and Suites Winkler
Rainbow Stage
Red River Exhibition
Red-White & Blue Get-A-Ways
River Rat Rentals
Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada
Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre
Rubber Ducky Resort and Campground
Sam Waller Museum
Signature Museums
Six Pines Farm
South Beach Casino and Resort
Southport Aerospace Centre Inc.
Speedworld Indoor Kart Track
Super 8 by Wyndham Winnipeg East
Super 8 by Wyndham Winnipeg West
The Fairmont Winnipeg
The Forks North Portage Partnership
The Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre
The Herdsman House
The Hotel at Falcon Lake
The InnKeepers
The Manitoba Museum
The Manitoba World War One Museum
The Pas Community Development Corporation
The Royal Canadian Artillery Museum
The Royal Canadian Mint
The Russell Inn Hotel and Conference Centre
The Whiteshell
Tundra Inn
Thermëa by Nordik Spa-Nature
Third + Bird
Tourism Dauphin
Tourism Industry Association of Canada
Tourism Industry Association of Manitoba
Tourism HR Canada
Tourism Westman
Tourism Winnipeg/Economic Development Winnipeg
Tourisme Riel
Town of Carman
Town of Neepawa
Town of Powerview-Pine Falls
Town of Souris CDC Souris Glenwood
Trails Manitoba
Trail Tutors
Travel and Tourism Research Association of Manitoba
Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba
Turtle Mountain Adventure Huts
Turtle Mountain Resort
Victoria Inn Hotel and Convention Centre
Voyageur Houseboats
West End BIZ
Whoop and Hollar Folk Festival
Winkler Harvest Festival
Winnipeg Airports Authority
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Wave Artist Tour
West End BIZ
Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce
Winnipeg Folk Festival
Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival
Winnipeg Goldeyes
Winnipeg Sea Bears
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
Wooden Gate Cider
WOW Hospitality Concepts
Wyndham Garden Winnipeg Airport
PHOTO: ANTHONY URSO
Board of Directors
Carole Vivier C.M., O.M. Chair Tim Johnston, Vice Chair, Manager North Central Community Futures Development Corporation Inc.
Vice President, Guest Services Assiniboine Park Conservancy
Our People
OUR NEW TEAM MEMBERS
Sara Stasiuk Chief Executive Officer The Forks North Portage Partnership
ex officio Director, Strategic Priorities Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism
Drew Fisher President & CEO RBC Winnipeg Convention Centre
A steadfast, strategic and determined leader, Angela is committed to advancing Travel Manitoba’s goals while motivating the team to peak performance.
Angela joined the team in June 2023 from her previous role as Interim CEO at National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. Prior to that, she served in progressively senior roles at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
Heidi is a Chartered Professional Accountant with strong leadership and relationship-building skills.
Heidi joined Travel Manitoba in May 2023 after ten years of increasing responsibility with Ducks Unlimited Canada to become Conservation Controller. Heidi’s past experience included positions with Great West Life (Canada Life) and StandardAero, among other organizations.
John Gunter President & CEO Frontiers North Adventures
Gab-Riel “Pit” Turenne Owner/Operator Aikens Lake Lodge
Trevor Clearwater
Julia Tetrault
Ida Albo Managing Partner & Co-owner The Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre
Patrick McKay Director of Operations Fisher River Economic Development Corp.
Independent Auditor’s Report on the Summary Financial Statements
To the Members of TRAVEL MANITOBA
Opinion
The summary financial statements, which comprise the summary statement of financial position as at March 31, 2024, the summary statement of operations, accumulated surplus and summary of statement of remeasurement gains for the year then ended, and related note are derived from the audited financial statements of Travel Manitoba (the “Organization”) for the year ended March 31, 2024.
In our opinion, the accompanying summary financial statements are a fair summary of the audited financial statements, in accordance with the criteria disclosed in the Note to the summary financial statements.
Summary Financial Statements
The summary financial statements do not contain all the disclosures required by Canadian public sector accounting standards. Reading the summary financial statements and the auditor’s report thereon, therefore, is not a substitute for reading the Organization’s audited financial statements and the auditor’s report thereon.
The Audited Financial Statements and Our Report Thereon
We expressed an unmodified audit opinion on the audited financial statements in our report dated June 20, 2024.
Management’s Responsibility for the Summary Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation of the summary financial statements in accordance with the criteria disclosed in the Note to the summary financial statements.
Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on whether the summary financial statements are a fair summary of the audited financial statements based on our procedures, which were conducted in accordance with Canadian Auditing Standard (CAS) 810, Engagements to Report on Summary Financial Statements.
Chartered Professional Accountants
Winnipeg, Manitoba June 20, 2024
BDO Canada LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership, is a member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms.
As at March 31
Approved on behalf of the Board of Directors:
Director Director
Summary Statement of Operations and Accumulated
Note to the Summary Financial Statements
Basis of
Management is responsible for the preparation of the summary financial statements. The summary financial statements presented include only the summarized statement of financial position, the summarized statement of operations and accumulated surplus and the summary statement of remeasurement gains. They do not include the statement of changes in net financial assets, the statement of cash flows, and notes to the financial statements.
Copies of the audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2024 and the Schedule of Compensation for the year ended December 31, 2023 may be obtained from Travel Manitoba by calling 1-204-927-7800 or 1-800-665-0040.
