Families and provincial visitors will find even better services to help plan their discovery of Manitoba thanks to the new state-of-the-art Travel Manitoba Visitor Information Centre at the Forks. This announcement was made by Premier Greg Selinger.
“Manitobans are proud of their province, and our booming tourism industry is bringing more and more people here than ever before,” said Premier Selinger. “This new centre reflects that pride. The old exhibits have been replaced with state-of-the-art technology to help tourists take advantage of all that Manitoba has to offer, and help grow the $1.5-billion industry.”
Through a partnership of the Manitoba government and The Forks Renewal Corporation, Travel Manitoba redesigned the visitor centre and added new technology to keep up with the changing way tourism is marketed to consumers.
“A new, state-of-the-art Visitor Information Centre at The Forks allows us to give travellers a sample of the immersive experiences our province has to offer,” said Colin Ferguson, president and chief executive officer, Travel Manitoba. “We’ve built a place that welcomes visitors and where our unique experiences come to life.”
The new centre features easy-to-use technology travel counsellors available to help answer questions and the ability to tailor a tourism experience to the visitor’s specific interests or needs. Some displays allow visitors to view different areas of the province in stunning panoramic views, while others allow visitors to create their own unique itinerary. Unique Manitoba backdrops are also available for photos.
“Last year, we introduced the world to our new brand, Manitoba: Canada’s Heart…Beats, and we look forward to building on that success,” said Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport and Consumer Protection Minister Ron Lemieux. “This centre gives us an opportunity to promote the uniqueness, quality and diversity of Manitoba’s tourism experiences.”
“As lead developers and owners of this building, we are very pleased to work with the province and Travel Manitoba to help revitalize this key location at The Forks,” said Paul Jordan, chief executive officer, The Forks North Portage. “We believe the fully renovated building, the new interactive displays and the increased staff presence will all contribute to making this a must-see destination while visiting The Forks.”
The new centre also allows Travel Manitoba’s Winnipeg staff to relocate within the centre, resulting in savings of more than $300,000 over 10 years.
Public and private sector investment in new tourism attractions, events and accommodations has reached more than $600 million since 2005, Minister Lemieux noted. In addition to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and new exhibits at Assiniboine Park, other upcoming attractions expected to draw visitors include the Upper Fort Garry development and major events such as the Grey Cup in November and the Canada Games in 2017. Manitoba’s recognized attractions include world-class ‘catch-and-release’ fishing, Arctic safaris to view polar bears and beluga whales in Churchill, and Winnipeg’s arts and culture scene.
