Supporting the local tourism industry
From the Tourism Strategy (18.2Â MB) , there were numerous recommendations that were put forth to improve the industry in the region. From this, a top priority item was to create a tourism brand for Strathcona County. With this action item in hand, Strathcona County worked with a consultant to create and establish a strong marketing identity to use for visitor and industry development.
Strategy excerpt:
4.A.1. Establish a clear and compelling tourism brand for Strathcona County. The brand should take into consideration the direction in the tourism strategy, as well as the community’s future vision, and be grounded in what makes the destination special. Supporting materials and marketing collateral should be developed to support the brand (e.g. logo, tagline, media, brand toolkit, advertisements, visitor information, etc.).Â
This led to the formation of Go Strathco and the Strathcona County Tourism wordmark. Each of these images will have their respective use by Strathcona County as we fill the role of the Destination Management Organization. Read more about their respective uses below.
Tourism wordmarks explained
-
The development of the Go Strathco wordmark was done with a very strategic purpose in mind. Tourism is meant to attract people from outside the community. It’s a different undertaking from the typical audience that municipalities want to reach, which is residents. People visit the Strathcona County website to access information about various other things which may including swimming schedules, garbage collection, and other municipal services.Go Strathco is meant to provide visitors with relevant information that they can use when planning their visit to this community, as well as provides a clear call-to-action. It will be used for marketing tools such as the Go Guide, social media, and the eventual tourism website. An attractive, action-oriented identity will help encourage visitation and ensure that visitors find and experience the offerings found in Strathcona County and the region.
-
As much as we are working to use the Go Strathco wordmark and for it to become recognizable, we realize that there is a gap between people associating it with Strathcona County. In that respect, we have also created the Strathcona County Tourism wordmark to use during industry events.
This wordmark will be used during industry and business development activities, including the annual tourism industry conference, educational sessions, and networking events, among other events.
Tourism Strategy and Implementation Plan
"If developed effectively, tourism has the potential to have a significant diversifying effect on the economic base of Strathcona County."
Our vision: within 10 years, Strathcona County will be known as a place where visitors can come to enjoy compelling nature-based offerings, authentic agritourism activities, and immersive cultural experiences, along with other opportunities like sports tourism, and festivals and events.
- Final Tourism Strategy and Implementation Plan (18.2Â MB)
- Final Tourism Strategy and Implementation Plan Presentation (2.2Â MB)
The strategy will help us understand what Strathcona County and the business community can do to support the community and economy through tourism.Â
Product Development Plan
Upon completion of the Tourism Strategy, it was recommended that the next step be to complete a tourism product development plan. Businesses and organizations that offer activities, products, concepts, or experiences that attract visitors were consulted to generate ideas to spur tourism product development.
More information:
Economic Development and Tourism
Phone: 780-464-8095
Email
Facebook
LinkedIn
Subscribe
Address:
2001 Sherwood Drive
Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
T8A 3W7
