Plans are being prepared for a major tourism conference in Stettler next fall to highlight the community’s importance for the promotion of heritage tourism in Alberta.
The conference is to be organized by the Boomtown Trail project, which focuses on generation of potential for tourism business in the communities alongside Highway 21.
“Stettler is just at the junction,” said Ken Duncan, referring to the other major regional tourism project, the Canadian Badlands, which is trying to promote tourism in the souther regions of the province, extending as far as the US border.
“Because the Badlands project has a stronger focus on arts and artisans, actually the projects are not in conflict, and we are already cooperating.”
Given the presence of the Alberta Prairie Steam Tours in Stettler, the town is actually one of the ideal locations to market as one of the major centres of heritage tourism in the province, according to Duncan.
The planned conference, the schedule of which has yet to be finalized, will be another milestone in the development of Boomtown Trail project, according to Duncan.
“Developing tourism as a business is not something that can be achieved in a short time,” he said.
“First, we have to engage businesses, organizations and individuals so that they will be oriented to see the potential for business in heritage tourism.”
“This is why we have been organizing workshops and seminars and inviting businesses and communities to provide them with information on how to adjust their business plans or outlook for their future with a view to accommodating the tourism angle.”
Duncan was speaking just a few days before the first major workshop of the project this year, scheduled for Feb. 6 in Three Hills.
In the workshop, several figures, selected in the various communities, will be showcasing how the history of the region can be told to tourists in a fashion that will capture their attention and interest.
Duncan says, one of the individuals who agreed to take part in the endeavour is Bob Willis of Prairie Steam tours.
“I know for a fact that every time Willis told the story of Gabriel Dumont, at least six or seven people rushed to find and read books on Dumont, Métis history and Louis Riel,” he said.
“Our region is very rich in history and we are looking forward to having people who would like to come forward and tell the story of their adventures.”
Duncan says the Boomtown Trail project is still in the development stage and there is a lot of work to be done until the project comes to the “marketing” stage.
“We need to have the business potential of heritage tourism fully understood before we actively start marketing our region as a tourism destination.”
With the history department of the University of Alberta on board to support the project, Duncan believes there is much to be achieved for all the communities in the region.