Council gets update on tourism changes
By Lethbridge Herald on June 13, 2025.
Al Beeber
Lethbridge Herald
Representatives of Tourism Lethbridge and the City’s department of Community Services on Thursday presented to the Economic and Finance Standing Policy committee of city council its annual update.
The SPC consists of the mayor and all members of council.
Tourism Lethbridge, a fee-for-service group which is the City’s official destination management organization, is required to report back to council on its activities. Its role is to promote and develop this city “as a vibrant and dynamic destination” through its fee-for-service agreement.
The update, which was presented by Tourism Lethbridge CEO Erin Crane and the City’s Director of Community Services Carly Kleisinger, stated the organization “has set bold goals and objectives for Lethbridge to make the vision a reality of showcasing Lethbridge’s unique sense of spaces, culture and people while increasing visitation and Lethbridge’s tourism market share, growing Lethbridge’s economy and showcasing Lethbridge across the nation.”
Kleisinger told the SPC that the presentation was to address changes that have been made in the last few months with the Tourism Lethbridge portfolio being transferred to Community Services from Opportunity Lethbridge.
“We have found some synergies, there’s been some synergies created since this transfer, including Community Services’ direct connections to destinations that are also being overseen by that department, including the Galt Museum, Fort Whoop-Up and Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden.
The VisitLethbridge.com Arena is also under that department’s jurisdiction as well as Lethbridge Sport Council and other fee-for-service groups including the Allied Arts Council, Lethbridge BMX and Lethbridge Little League,” said Kleisinger.
A Community Services representative has also been added to the Tourism Lethbridge board – Jennifer Norsworthy.
Crane told the SPC that “it’s been a great relationship being built here. We’ve been thrilled with the support and resources that are available to us through Community Services.”
Crane added, “we’re thrilled to be in alignment with the City as well as the province and our national partners.
The alignment for destination growth is most important “and we work tirelessly on that with all of our partners and all of our stakeholders.”
TL’s vision includes Lethbridge by 2026 being the premier destination for sport tourism and business event hosting in southern Alberta.
“Visitors from across Canada and the world who come to Lethbridge, be it for sport, business or leisure travel, will experience the city’s authentic nature, arts, culture, heritage and Indigenous stories,” says the update.
Outcomes from achieving the vision include increasing year-round visitation by target markets, increasing the length of time visitors stay here, as well as their spending and the economic impact of tourism to the city.
Other outcomes include more investment by private and public sectors in tourism and increased stakeholder support for tourism.
17-16
It is interesting to see that tourism development is seen as an important factor for the city’s economy. Such initiatives certainly require support and transparent communication with the public. In this context, high-quality customer support in various areas is also important, for example, Rally customer service is famous for its efficiency and attentive approach to solving customer issues.