Manitoba welcomed 8.7 million visitors in 2022 who spent just over $1.8 billion throughout the province, Travel Manitoba reported at its Annual General Meeting today.
In a media release the organization said, “For the first time since the pandemic, spending exceeded record 2019 levels, a positive sign that the industry is heading in the right direction to a full recovery. However, Travel Manitoba, the Crown Corporation responsible for tourism marketing in the province, sounded a note of caution in its optimism, as not all sectors of the industry are back to pre-pandemic levels.
While visitor spending was strong, visitation data shows a different story. Manitoba visitation in 2022 was below 2019 levels. Visitation by Canadians was at about 85 per cent of 2019 levels and U.S. visitation was close to half of 2019 levels. Overseas visitation levels were about one third of 2019 levels.
“Even in light of record 2022 numbers, it remains clear that Manitoba’s tourism industry still has a way to go from a recovery perspective, particularly for international markets,” said Colin Ferguson, President and CEO of Travel Manitoba. “It’s fair to say that Manitoba’s tourism operators are facing higher costs and higher debt levels than before the pandemic. Inflation, economic uncertainty, labour shortages and air access challenges continue to negatively impact our industry.”
The majority (87 per cent) of visitors in 2022 were Manitobans. Ten per cent were from other Canadian provinces, 2.4 per cent from the U.S. and 0.45 per cent came from overseas.
“Manitoba will need to focus on rebuilding its presence in international markets to attract more visitors from long-haul markets,” said Carole Vivier, Board Chair of Travel Manitoba. “Elevating the diversity of experiences available throughout the province will enable each region to make greater contributions to generating increased visitation and visitor spending in Manitoba.”
Despite some challenges, Manitoba’s tourism recovery is ahead of the Canadian average, according to Statistics Canada. Manitoba’s 2022 tourism spending exceeded that of 2019 by 10 per cent, while Canada as a whole was only 3 per cent above 2019 levels. Analysts say this is due to the fact that many parts of Canada rely more heavily on international travellers than Manitoba and international travel has been slower to recover.
For the hotel industry, promising signs are also being looked at with caution. Occupancy levels were ahead of the Canadian average in 2022, with both revenue and occupancy exceeding 2019 levels. While leisure and business travel contributed to this recovery, a portion is also attributed to housing challenges of those faced with flood and fire damage, newcomers and construction or mining crews working in the province.
The Manitoba Tourism Strategy, the document that guides the growth and development of Manitoba’s tourism industry, was recently updated to reflect the progress that has been made in rebuilding the sector following the pandemic.
The strategy sets out a plan to rebuild the visitor economy to 2019 levels by 2024 and ensure sustainable long-term growth for Manitoba’s visitor economy with a target of $2.5 billion in annual spending generating 12.8 million visitors by 2030. This equates to roughly 50 per cent growth in visitor spending levels in 2030 when compared to 2019.”
“There is no better time to showcase Manitoba as a world-class destination of choice for travellers from Manitoba, Canada and around the world,” said Ferguson. “Manitoba’s tourism industry continues to be a key contributor to our economy and the growth of our communities.”
