The mountain foothills, the windswept Prairies, dinosaur badlands and Alberta’s main resort town— all are just a day trip from Red Deer.
Red Deerians know the perks of this city’s central location — now Tourism Red Deer plans to spread the word around the province and beyond.
The organization’s executive director Rene Rondeau said plans are underway to more than double the non-profit’s staff by this summer — a total of seven people will be employed (compared to the existing three staffers) to help with marketing, development and event planning.
The additional staff is needed to help Tourism Red Deer achieve the ambitious goal of becoming the premier event centre of all mid-sized cities in Canada by 2030, added Rondeau.
Plans are also afoot to trumpet Red Deer as a touristic hub for anyone who wants to explore virtually all of Alberta’s diverse topography from one spot.
Rondeau considers this city a great jumping-off point for day trips to the mountain foothills at Nordegg, the Drumheller badlands, swimming at Sylvan Lake, or exploring the scenic Prairie landscape.
Over the next few months, Tourism Red Deer, which has tripled its paid memberships to 103 since 2020, plans to launch a marketing campaign to bring in more tourists from across Alberta, perhaps even Saskatchewan or B.C., he said.
While making central Albertans more aware of the attractions at their doorstep was Tourism Red Deer’s focus during the pandemic, now that people are travelling further once again, the organization wants to widen its marketing reach.
Rondeau expects a strategy will be drawn up over the next few months. He believes this area has a lot to offer, if only more people knew about it.
Among the newest attractions is the Alpine Coaster at Canyon Ski Resort, and there are plans to add a summer slide, “like a carpet ride,” said Rondeau. He also noted Discovery Wildlife Park in Innisfail now has rental cabins for those who want to stay a while on the property.
Tourism Red Deer was formed as a non-profit visitor-focused society 35 years ago in 1988. Rondeau said it sprang from a desire to attract more conventions, meetings and other events to this city, midway between Edmonton and Calgary.
By 1992 the organization was called the Red Deer Visitor and Convention Bureau, which operated out of Heritage Ranch. By 1999, the non-profit moved into its current location in the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and became Tourism Red Deer.
Rondeau said financial support comes from the City of Red Deer, Red Deer County and some other area municipalities, as well as Travel Alberta and a widening array of private-sector members, including many local hotels and restaurants.
One in 10 people in this province work in the tourism industry, and Rondeau believes Red Deer’s numbers could even be higher. Tourism Red Deer is, therefore, focused on working with members to maximize their tourism potential.
And since 2020, Tourism Red Deer has taken the lead in shaping a major events strategy that will position Red Deer as a major destination for big events, like the Brier or Canada Winter Games, said Rondeau. “We’re putting a business plan together… and are exploring a lot of good opportunities.”
The group’s annual general meeting will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on April 20 at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. Tourism Red Deer is looking for board members and anyone interested in sitting on committees. Anyone interested in attending should register at eventbrite.ca or here
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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