Travel Manitoba Consultant Al McLauchlan says the tourism industry has been strongly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He explains you have to consider that the tourism industry is based on a tourism model where 90 percent of your customers are coming from the United States so now you’re looking at a customer base that was lost for at least the spring fishing and it looks like all fall time because the border is not going to open again for a while.  He notes tourism business declined in some cases 60 to 90 percent in some businesses which is huge.

McLauchlan adds Businesses, Travel Manitoba and the Province have worked towards marketing tourism within the province by encouraging people to visit parts of Manitoba they have never been to before.  He says Manitobans have been visiting local resorts in places like Snow Lake and he encourages people to continue to get out and enjoy the province.