Skip to content

Tourism Estevan booth busy during the peak summer months

Tourism Estevan’s Visitor Information Centre west of the city was busy during the summer tourism season, as it attracted more than 2,000 visitors when it was open from May 20 to Aug. 26.

Tourism Estevan’s Visitor Information Centre west of the city was busy during the summer tourism season, as it attracted more than 2,000 visitors when it was open from May 20 to Aug. 26.

According to numbers supplied by Tourism Estevan, the booth attracted 2,096 people this year, which was down slightly from the 2,202 visitors who dropped by the centre a year earlier. The busiest day was on May 21, when they had 63 visitors.

Not only was it the second day the centre was open, it was the day of the annual Cowpokes and Cookouts activities at the neighbouring Souris Valley Museum. Many people turned out to view the exhibits at the museum, and to enjoy a barbecue and a baked beans competition.

The information centre’s busiest month was in July, when 912 people stopped by. July accounted for 43.5 per cent of the traffic at the centre this year. Much of the July traffic can be attributed to the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games in Estevan, as there were 303 visitors who went to the centre during the seven days of the Games, from July 24 to 30.

Another 173 people dropped by the centre in the four days leading up to the Games, when many people were arriving in Estevan. 

The Visitor Information Centre also had 174 people in May, even though it was only open for 12 days. There were also 420 people in June and 591 in August. 

Among the visitors who indicated where they were from, the majority were from Canada. The centre had 886 Canadians drop by, including 202 who said they were from the Estevan area. Another 283 people came from elsewhere in Saskatchewan, including 195 who visited the centre in July. 

There were 114 visitors from Alberta, 57 from Manitoba and 230 from elsewhere in Canada. 

The U.S. and Mexico accounted for 454 visitors, with 45 of them coming from North Dakota. 

The centre also had 24 people come from Asia and Australia, 14 from Europe and one from another part of the world. 

Among the 2,246 inquiries they received for services or other information, 539 needed directions, 444 were looking for community services, 265 wanted to know about recreation and adventure opportunities, 168 were seeking attractions and 102 were looking for accommodations. 

Some of the visitors requested more than one type of information. 

The energy tours offered by Tourism Estevan also proved to be a draw. There were 870 people who took the tours. June was the busiest month, with 494 people. The tours also drew 25 people in May, 240 people in July and 111 in August. 

Locals accounted for about a quarter of the traffic, as 214 people from the Estevan area took a tour.

Among those who took a tour were 14 school students in June.