BARRHEAD - It will be status quo for the County of Barrhead regarding its tourism promotion strategy.
Following a 30-minute discussion at their Aug. 15 meeting, councillors opted to continue their efforts to increase tourism to the community without changing their strategy while administration researches potential alternative regional marketing possibilities.
Coun. Walter Preugschas asked that council discuss expanding the municipality's regional tourism marketing efforts through a July 18 notice of motion.
For years, the county was a member of GROWTH ALBERTA, one of the province's nine regional economic development alliances (REDA), for several years.
A REDA aims to help foster economic growth in a specific region through joint marketing efforts. Specifically, GROWTH attempted to increase tourism in the region with its tourism brand, WILD ALBERTA, mainly through its website and annual tourism brochure/magazine.
In early May, council voted not to renew its membership in the organization. Still, it permitted Preugschas, the council's rep on the GROWTH board, to continue his work with the organization, especially with the WILD brand.
At one time, GROWTH's membership roster was in the teens, but in recent years that number has dwindled. Presently, it has three members: Woodlands County, Swan Hills and Mayerthorpe.
Preugschas also noted that currently, GROWTH and WILD do not have any paid employees and are being operated entirely by its board.
County manager Debbie Oyarzun said regardless of whether they are a GROWTH member, the county has undertaken several tourism initiatives and is featured prominently in its economic development and strategic plans.
She noted that over the past year, the county has advertised in the WILD Alberta and Great West media's Passport to Summer Guide, the Economic Developers Alberta annual magazine and the Alberta/Xperience, as well as participated in the Town of Barrhead's Better-in-Barrhead website.
She also added that the municipality continues to make strides in improving its online presence through its website and recently launched Facebook platform and continues to promote and help agricultural producers in the county participate in the province's Open Farm Days.
"We've also developed our own recreation opportunities brochure featuring camping, parks, trails, and community halls, along with amenities and attractions in the area," Oyarzun said. "We are also talking to the (Barrhead and District Historical Society) to build out their visitor information centre (located in Barrhead's Centennial Museum)
Development officer Jenny Bruns interjected the municipality has a contract with YOLO Nomads.
"They work with people who do remote work and want to relocate away from the urban centres, such as Toronto, Vancouver or Edmonton," she said, adding the company reached out to the municipality after learning about the municipality's efforts to improve rural broadband Internet.
All totalled, not including staff time, the county spent roughly $9,000 in promoting the municipality.
Oyarzun said the county is also working on a business licencing or registry directory.
"One of the problems we and county residents have is that we don't know about the types of businesses and services we have in our community," she said. "By having information on the assets, including tourism operators, we have in our community;,we can then leverage it into future marketing opportunities."
Administration presented three options to councillors for tourism, the first being the status quo.
The benefit of this option Oyarzun noted, is that council has already approved the established path, and as such, it is easily updated.
The second option is that the county could explore other options to promote the county's tourism operators.
"This would mean engaging stakeholders and tourism operators," she said, adding that there is not much existing information on other models.
The other option she presented was to resume their GROWTH membership, with the benefit being that the organization has the potential to leverage provincial funding into promotion opportunities.
The downside, she said, is the $9,000 GROWTH membership fee and its uncertainty.
Preugschas interjected that while promoting the municipality through its internal channels is important, he said they must continue towards a more regional approach to help tourism operators.
"People do not look for an area; they look for the type of activities they want to do, and we are not a destination like Jasper, so the regional approach becomes even more important," he said, adding the tourism operators he has formed a relationship with agree.
Preugschas noted that Alberta Tourism and Sport would rather work with regions.
"They do have funds available but want to deal with regions and not municipalities," he said. "And from the municipalities I've talked to, they also want to take a regional approach as long as there is something worthwhile there for them."
Preugschas said whatever they do, tourism operators need to be involved in the discussion as they have the most at stake.
"They need to be at the table from day one," he said.
Coun. Bill Lane agreed, saying but said that was easier said than done.
"I remember when we used to have tourism meetings, and the room was full of (operators and businesses) wanting to get involved," he said. "The plan was to have them take it over, but then they fell back and wanted the county to do everything," he said.
