Tourism Partnership Program
Sylvan Lake is brilliant all year and has so much to share with visitors in every season. Local tourism businesses are a big part of developing high quality visitor experiences that attract tourism and support our local economy. The Town of Sylvan Lake has tourism initiatives that aim to develop Sylvan Lake as a vibrant Alberta tourist destination. Local tourism businesses are invited to participate in the Tourism Industry Partnership Program and become a part of Sylvan Lake tourism initiatives.
The Partnership Program is an opportunity for local tourism businesses to be involved and actively participate in Town of Sylvan Lake tourism initiatives and strategies, collaborate, provide great visitor experiences, and be involved in the development of the destination.
The Partnership Program is delivered by the Town’s tourism department and under the visitor services umbrella of Visit Sylvan Lake. Visit Sylvan Lake provides visitor information, operates a destination website at visitsylvanlake.ca and destination social media channels under the handle @visitsylvanlake.
Participants in the Program must have a valid license with their jurisdiction and be operating in the tourism industry sector in Sylvan Lake. The program is free of cost to businesses within the Town of Sylvan Lake or $65 for tourism businesses located in Lacombe or Red Deer Counties. This annual Program will come into effect beginning in 2021.
Your business is a tourism business if visitors to Sylvan Lake represent a significant share of your customer base. If your business regularly interacts with visitors by providing them with goods and services that enhance their trip to Sylvan Lake, your business is operating in the tourism sector. Your business is invited to participate in the Tourism Industry Partnership Program!
Tourism businesses are invited to participate in the Program, however participation is completely optional. Program participants are invited to take part in any of the Program Features listed below. Make the most out of the Program by participating actively.
What is involved in the program? 2022 Program Features:
- Find Opportunity
- Get involved in Town of Sylvan Lake tourism initiatives: find a full listings of opportunities to be involved in Town of Sylvan Lake events, sponsorship and prizes, volunteer, host, and more
- Submit your event to visitsylvanlake.ca: hosting an event of your own to attract visitors? Submit your event to be listed on Visit Sylvan Lake
- Opt-in to marketing campaigns: Jump onboard marketing campaigns and be a part of collaborative promotions with campaign marketing resources
- Inclusion on Referrals List: there are visitors and other organization looking for your business! When visitor services receives questions, they’ll be sent your way
- Partner Directory: share contact information with other businesses that may be interested in opportunities for collaboration. A listing will be made available to all participants
- Raise Your Business’ Profile
- Business Profile on visitsylvanlake.ca: don’t just list your business on visitsylvanlake.ca, tell the story of the experience visitors can have in your business in a short write up with featured images.
- Priority Access to Familiarization Tours: Share knowledge of your products and services with tourism department staff. Program participants will be given priority consideration when preparing itineraries and presentations. In-person visits are dependent on the evolving pandemic.
- Get listed on the online visitor’s map on visitsylvanlake.ca: this interactive digital map will list tourism businesses, sites, attractions, and more with seasonal updates.
- Grow your Business
- Access tourism research, data, and resources: find information that could spark your next big idea, by creating experiences matched to visitor customer data
- Free access to trainings and training resources: Learn, takeaway golden nuggets of information, and actionable items to help your business grow within the sector
- Tell Us How You’re Doing
- Seasonal surveys: share your first-hand knowledge and industry insights with destination development to better identify opportunities and challenges within the sector. What has tourism looked like from your business’ perspective?
Tourism Entrepreneurship and Start Up Resources
- Tourism Business Startup Workbook: For new entrepreneurs considering joining the province’s tourism industry
- Tourism Business Planning Guide: A guide for developing a business concept
- Tourism Development Guide: A guide for obtaining government approvals and licenses through the Government of Alberta
Investment Opportunities
Sylvan Lake has enormous opportunities for growth in the tourism industry. Currently, over a million guests visit Sylvan Lake annually, the majority visiting in July and August, spending on average CAD $41.00 per person. Read more about our investment opportunities.
Sylvan Lake directly and indirectly benefits from a strong local tourism industry. An 2014 Economic Impact Assessment determined:
- The average tourist in Sylvan Lake spends $35.17 per day;
- An estimated 761,223 tourists visited Sylvan Lake in the summer of 2014;
- The tourism industry created 600 tourism-related jobs in Sylvan Lake; and
- An overall economic impact of the tourism industry of $74,967,391.
Visitor friendliness
We've developed a Visitor Friendly Assessment and Action Plan that focuses on five key areas:
- Overall ambiance/community visual appeal
- Wayfinding and signage
- Public services and visitor amenities
- Quality of services and professionalism of those services
- Visitor information
We're currently working on the action plan to address the assessment.