Jason Stockfish | [email protected]
Tourism Jasper has begun to develop a Tourism Master Plan to create a strategic and shared vision for the future of Jasper鈥檚 visitor economy.
In 2020, the Municipality of Jasper created an economic recovery task force in response to the financial and social havoc created by the pandemic.
One of the partner organizations involved in the task force is Tourism Jasper.
James Jackson, president and CEO of Tourism Jasper, discussed how the task force鈥檚 conversation evolved into a broader discussion about 鈥渢he development of a holistic stakeholder led vision for Jasper鈥檚 visitor economy.鈥�
The task force calls this initiative a Tourism Master Plan.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 focus strictly on destination marketing,鈥� Jackson said.
鈥淚t focuses more on what I can call, generally, the visitor experience. It addresses all of the connective tissue that make up a visitor economy.鈥�
A significant benefit of having all affected parties involved in the same discussion is the avoidance of conversations occurring in isolation, only to have two or more issues ending up on a collision course in the future, when they could have been initially tackled as a whole
Paid parking and sidewalk patios are examples of this.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not to say that anyone made a mistake. We鈥檙e not pointing fingers at anybody. In fact, we applaud them for tackling those issues,鈥� Jackson said.
鈥淏ut the destination has never really had the capacity to have a conversation on this scale and so that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e trying to facilitate.鈥�
As recommendations are made by the task force, certain organizations or individuals have been entrusted with taking the lead on endeavours to which they are best suited.
Jackson noted that some issues are better handled by the municipality, while other recommendations may be more appropriately dealt with by Parks Canada or the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce, or another organization with a specific skill set and understanding.
In the case of the Tourism Master Plan, it was deemed that Tourism Jasper was best situated to lead the project, with some financial contributions by the municipality.
Tourism Jasper has since hired MMGY NextFactor to develop the plan, while Tourism Economics will develop fact-based scenario modelling for Jasper.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just one of many stewards of the community, and of Jasper鈥檚 visitor economy, and we鈥檙e happy to facilitate this conversation,鈥� Jackson said.
鈥淭he idea behind the (master plan) is we really want to have an open and holistic conversation with residents, with businesses, with organizational stakeholders, as well as the visitor, to address some issues鈥� of mutual best interest.鈥�
Transportation is one example, said Jackson.
And 鈥渙bviously housing is a significant issue,鈥� he noted, before adding downtown vibrancy, downtown programming, in-destination communication, wayfinding and social issues to the list.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a big plan. It鈥檒l be hard work. But I think it鈥檚 required,鈥� Jackson said.
鈥淧eople in the destination are talking about some part of this every day. Some of us all day, some of us just over a coffee, but it鈥檚 an important conversation.鈥�
Jackson said that after determining the end goal, the task at hand becomes figuring out how to reverse engineer the process to accomplish it.
鈥淲e need to take a 10-year lens on what is the goal that we want to achieve,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e all agree that we鈥檙e trying to achieve economic prosperity for businesses (and) a safe and affordable place to raise a family.鈥�
Jackson said that with issues of staffing and accommodation being especially acute this year, the need for a master plan is evident.
鈥淧eople are starting to realize that when we don鈥檛 have a healthy housing sector, when we don鈥檛 have a healthy workforce, we鈥檙e going to struggle to open our business the hours that we wish we could or have the labour pool to be able to provide the level of service that we wish we could.鈥�
Ultimately, the plan is to bring all parties together to have productive and meaningful conversations that will lead to key recommendations for the future.
鈥淗opefully, if we do this well, we can have a phenomenal destination that looks and feels the same鈥� Still authentic to place. Still Jasper. It hasn鈥檛 been developed unruly but it can still sustain itself. That鈥檚 what this whole thing is about,鈥� Jackson said.
鈥淭he important part to Tourism Jasper is that we deeply believe if we do not have a healthy community, we will not have a healthy visitor economy.鈥�
In the end, people don鈥檛 see Tourism Jasper or the municipality or Parks Canada or any other organization.
鈥淭hey just see Jasper. They just see a place. And the better we can all work together鈥he better the place will be,鈥� Jackson said.
The engagement phase of the Tourism Master Plan begins this month with a resident survey available at
Tourism Jasper is offering prizes for taking part in the survey, but more than the prizes, Jackson said the organization wanted to have residents鈥� voices heard.
The master plan is expected to be completed later in the year.
