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Big opportunities ahead for TED

Luke Pantin gives final report on tourism and economic development in Athabasca region
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Athabasca County tourism and economic development (TED) officer Luke Pantin gave town council an overview of some of the partnerships and initiatives he has worked to create in 2020, at their Dec. 15 council meeting.

ATHABASCA – Prospects are bright for the future of tourism and economic development in the Athabasca region, and sustained and inclusive economic growth will drive progress, create jobs and improve the living standards of the whole community. 

That’s what Athabasca County tourism and economic development (TED) officer Luke Pantin told Athabasca town councillors at their Dec. 15 meeting, in what would be his final report on the subject to the town as he moves on to seek higher education. Pantin provided a run-down of all the partnerships, initiatives, observations and progress he made in his time in Athabasca, since he arrived to temporarily fill the role in January. 

Pantin said he pictures an economy existing in its own ecosystem, which provides the factors of production, such as natural resources and outdoor recreation opportunities, which fuel economic growth. The list of opportunities for the Athabasca region is long, he said. Wildlife; historical topography; hydrology; climate; culture; traditional economic sectors, such as farms and mines; academia; and a number of recreational aspects like resorts, golf courses and studios will all play a large role as the path forward for the region is mapped out over the next few years.  

“Many decisions ultimately shaping the next 10 to 15 years will be made in the next two to three years. So, it is important for us to act now to seize not only economic benefits, but also the social and environmental benefits of resilient growth,” Pantin said. 

Pantin suggested five key economic systems to focus on going forward — energy, food, land use, water, and industry — as they will provide the greatest potential for growth. The other, which could provide a huge windfall if approached properly, is tourism. 

“One point I'd like to make is that traditionally there has been some dispute among practitioners and politicians as to whether tourism is separate from economic development and economic development separate from tourism. From my experience, tourism is just one component of one industry of economic development,” he said. 

“So, the environment being the major source of tourist product for us here in Athabasca should therefore be protected in order to have further growth of tourism and economic development in the future.” 

Pantin also pointed out the formation of the Landing Valley Region Partnership, which brought together representatives from the public and private sectors in October to take an active role in the future of economic development in the region.

“These two forces have the ability to achieve greatness,” he said, referring to the public and private sector partners. “The value could be exponential working synergistically with stakeholders through the tourism experience chain and oftentimes cross sector for development of the tourism economy in a way that leverages their respective areas of experience and expertise,” he said. 

Destination management will also play a vital role in bringing about the many benefits of tourism. 

“Destination management is a coordinated process where almost all aspects of a destination are managed, including marketing efforts, local resources, accommodation, activities, events, environmental concerns, tourist attractions, and transportation,” said Pantin, pointing out that potential tourists will usually complete a pre-visit investigation of the area they plan to visit, and by taking control of the messaging they consume, there is a better chance of them actually coming to the area, having a great experience and perhaps coming back, or telling a friend about it. 

“What we're trying to do here is establish the interconnectivity of sustainable interdependencies of development and of interdependencies of growth in our tourism sector,” he said. 

Pantin also provided his Top 20 list of accomplishments for 2020 which ranged from the Take it to the Lake promotion, where a spotlight was placed over the region, and video from a wide array of Athabasca area people, businesses and opportunities were showcased, to the development of an integrated economic development and tourism micro site portal, to bring all the information potential visitors to the area may need.  

He encouraged council to continue the momentum after he leaves. 

Council ultimately voted to accept the presentation as information, but mayor Colleen Powell spoke very highly of Pantin and the work he has done in his short time in the region. 

“This is quite amazing. I'm quite impressed with it,” she said of the presentation.

“I'm sorry, he's leaving. I worry that a good number of these things may fall by the wayside. This is incredibly ambitious. And there is a lot of information out there from the past that I think they could use … If they got their architecture there maybe it can be taken over a little later by someone else.” 

 

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