SASKATCHEWAN TOURISM AWARENESS WEEK ILLUSTRATES IMPACT ON ECONOMY

June 4th-10th is Tourism Awareness Week in Saskatchewan, a time to celebrate an industry that generates more than eight million visits to and within the province each year.

A number of events are planned across the province to showcase both the people and places involved in Saskatchewan's tourism industry, as well as illustrate the impact tourism has on our economy and the invaluable impression it leaves on visitors.

"Tourism is a billion-dollar industry for Saskatchewan with a value that goes beyond dollars and jobs," Minister responsible for Tourism Glenn Hagel said. "It promotes everything our province has to offer in terms of physical beauty, activities, and the unique prairie history, hospitality and culture of our people."

Among the activities planned for Tourism Awareness Week are a provincial campaign to generate awareness of the industry; a series of on-air Saskatchewan trivia contests hosted by participating radio stations; and various events co-ordinated by regional tourism staff across the province.

The tourism industry generates about $1.4 billion annually from travel expenditures by visitors to the province. Tourism-related jobs provide direct and indirect employment for approximately 60,000 people across Saskatchewan, with 22,000 of these wholly supported by tourism.

To learn more about Saskatchewan's tourism industry, and for more details on the week's events, visit Tourism Saskatchewan's web site at www.sasktourism.com.

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For More Information, Contact:

Jamie Shanks Industry and Resources Regina Phone: (306) 787-1691 Email: jshanks@ir.gov.sk.ca