A 2014 Economic Impact Assessment of Sylvan Lake Tourism report presented to town council on Monday night showed the strong financial impact tourism in Sylvan Lake has on the province.
Tracy With, vice president of Banister Research and Consulting, told council Sylvan Lake tourism’s overall provincial impact in 2014 totalled nearly $75 million.
A visitor onsite survey conducted last July and August explored the origins of that impact, and saw 766 visitors to town questioned on everything from transportation to accommodation.
Statistics showed that of the 73 per cent out-of-town respondents, 30 per cent were from Edmonton, 28 per cent were from Calgary and 13 per cent were from Red Deer.
With said she was surprised by those statistics, and believed most out-of-town visitors would have come from Red Deer.
Four per cent of respondents came from another province, while three per cent came from outside Canada.
The average visitor party of 4.27 people spent a mean amount of $351.15 on food and beverage, accommodation and transportation, among other expenditures.
The average visitor spent $35.17 a day.
Beach lounging proved the most popular activity among respondents, with 40 per cent having it planned during their stay in Sylvan Lake. Swimming followed closely behind at 39 per cent.
The Town of Sylvan Lake’s last tourism economic impact study was released in 2006.
The 2014 project, carried out by Banister Research and Consulting, also involved traffic counts at Lakeshore Dr. and 50 St. An estimated 761,223 people visited Sylvan Lake during the summer of 2014.
The report will be distributed among tourism stakeholders, while figures and data will be shared with potential investors, and used in the creation of a tourism sector profile. Current statistics will be added to an already existing video outlining the town’s tourism economic benefits.
The findings of the report were presented during council’s regular meeting Monday.