While Tourism Moose Jaw had a great year in 2019 and milked the attention lavished on Mac the Moose, the organization expects 2020 to be more subdued because of the pandemic.
Tourism Moose Jaw (TMJ) held its annual general meeting on April 30 by Zoom conference, with more than a dozen members and executive members taking part. During the meeting, executive director Jacki L’Heureux-Mason and board president Kelly Carty each provided a report about the activities in their areas.
Executive director's report
Last year was an outstanding year for Tourism Moose Jaw, with record sales in trolley tickets (an increase of $47,265 from 2018) and merchandise sold (an increase of $14,618) at the Tourism Centre, while the second-highest number of people walked through the building’s doors, L’Heureux-Mason said.
The worldwide attention given to Mac the Moose, the popularity of Sidewalk Days, and record-breaking attendance at Canada Day also contributed to a tremendous year, she continued. Tourism Moose Jaw led the new branding campaign of “Canada’s Most Notorious City,” while it launched the first of its Prohibition Days events by holding a “wildly successful” pub crawl.
“We had the best team of summer students I’ve ever worked with and so much hope and promise for great things this year,” L’Heureux-Mason continued.
However, the coronavirus pandemic has caused TMJ to change its plans for 2020. It has cancelled Sidewalk Days and Canada Day — the fireworks might still happen, though — it has postponed the tour guide since many businesses can’t afford to contribute to it.
Since provincial governments are recommending against travel between provinces, TMJ will focus on attracting visitors from within Saskatchewan.
“They’re already a big market for us and we’ll just hammer that hard,” said L’Heureux-Mason.
That campaign will focus on highlighting how Moose Jaw is a great weekend getaway location and is affordable for families. In particular, TMJ will highlight activities that occur here in the late summer, fall, and winter.
One concern is the future of the trolley, said L’Heureux-Mason. While repairs are nearly finished, TMJ doesn’t know when it will get the vehicle on the road in the community safely and responsibly.
Staffing issues could also be a concern since the organization won’t be able to run a full complement of employees. The ambassador booth downtown will not happen this year since proper physical distancing can’t be maintained. Meanwhile, only one employee will work at the desk — behind newly installed Plexiglas shielding — in the Tourism Centre, while additional cleaning will continue.
The Tourism Centre will space picnic tables further apart outside, while it will give personal protective equipment (PPE) to staff who ask.
“The 2020 tourist season will most certainly look different,” L’Heureux-Mason said. “However, we are innovative, we are motivated, and we are determined to make the best of this as we can.”
Finances
According to Tourism Moose Jaw’s 2019 financial statement:
- Revenues were $395,750 (an increase of $85,802 from 2018), while expenses were $348,083 (an increase of $50,793), leaving a surplus of $7,619, compared to a deficit of $18,894 two years ago
- Cash and term deposits were $104,089
- Membership fees were $22,324
President’s report
Tourism Moose Jaw had a stellar year last year, mainly due to Mac the Moose, echoed Carty. TMJ raised more than $38,000 for the beloved statue; it has spent nearly $10,000 and plans to spend another $2,000.
“His high visibility made him a go-to spot to visit, and his (visitor) numbers were 150,000 — that’s huge,” she continued, adding the remainder of the money will go into a reserve account for Mac’s maintenance.
There were 31,890 people who visited the Tourism Centre last year, which is an increase of 9,226 people, or 28.93 per cent, Carty reported. Sidewalk Days saw an estimated 21,000 people, while Canada Day saw about 3,500 people.
Since the attention with Mac drove record-high trolley and merchandise sales, Carty thought it was important to build on this 'Moosemania' in the future.
