Introduction

The JobStart/Future Skills Sector Partnerships Program of Saskatchewan Learning (formerly Saskatchewan Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training) enabled a sector study of the tourism industry in Saskatchewan. This industry profile is based on that study, published in January 2000.

The tourism industry established a partnership of industry members and key stakeholders through funding and support from the Sector Partnerships Program. These partners worked together to carry out a study that identified current and future hiring needs and training requirements.

Strategic planning enables industry and training providers to work together to provide training opportunities that match the skills the industry requires.

For more information about the Sector Partnership Report and this industry visit the Executive Summary. You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file.

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Tourism Overview

Tourism areas

There are eight traditional subsectors and an emerging subsector in tourism:

• Accommodation includes hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, hostels and other accommodations.
  
• Adventure tourism and recreation includes fishing and hunting, camping, eco-adventure, agri-tourism and other outdoor experiences.
  
• Attractions include amenities such as parks, museums, amusement parks, casinos, shopping malls and other facilities.
  
• Events include cultural festivals, sporting events, trade shows, family reunions and other events. Conferences involve event coordination and facilities management.
  
• Food and beverage service includes hotels, elegant dining establishments, ethnic restaurants, fast food outlets, restaurant chains and independent owner-operated establishments including taverns and nightclubs.
  
• Tourism services include industry associations, marketing organizations, visitor information centres and peripheral services such as retail and banking.
  
• Transportation includes coach, air, train, boat and taxi.
  Travel trade is a term which refers to retail travel agencies.
  
• Aboriginal tourism is a growth area that includes culture camps, museums, art, casinos, hotels and restaurants, and other cultural products and services.
  

The global scene

• The tourism industry is currently the single largest industry in the world. It makes the largest contribution to the global economy in both jobs and economic impact.
  
• Accommodation is one of the largest and most important employers in the tourism industry and a key part of the industry infrastructure.
  

The Canadian scene

• The food and beverage area is the largest employer in the tourism industry and is the fastest growing tourism area in the country.
  
• A 1997 Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) study found that the food and beverage area alone accounts for 80% of employment growth in the tourism industry.
  

Saskatchewan Overview

• Tourism ranks fourth among all industries in Saskatchewan. It is the fastest growing industry in the province.
  
• Tourism employs about 42,000 full-time and part-time workers.
  
• The industry generates an estimated $1.14 billion in spending by visitors.
  
• Tourism is largely an industry of owner-operated small business.
  
• The tourism industry is a first employer for many workers.
  
• Aboriginal tourism is growing in importance and impact in Saskatchewan.
  

Saskatchewan Trends

• Many of the tourism businesses in Saskatchewan are seasonal, although this is less frequent than in the past.
  
• The 1997 CTHRC study projected that tourism-related employment in Saskatchewan would grow at a rate of 3.0%. This compared to the expected growth rate of 1.3% in all industry sectors.
  
• Some areas are undergoing significant changes in terms of consumer demand. The retail travel trade has lost consumers to Internet travel booking. Market trends for adventure tourism show increasing interest.
  
• Aboriginal tourism is a key part of Tourism Saskatchewan’s marketing efforts. Aboriginal cultural products and experience are sought by visitors from across the world.
  
• Aboriginal tourism operations include culture camps, cultural/historical museums, art, casinos, hotels and restaurants, and others.
  
• Adventure tourism and recreation is perhaps the most important growth area in Saskatchewan’s tourism industry. Consumers are demanding a greater level of interpretation and education in their adventure experiences.
  
• Advanced outdoor technologies such as global positioning systems and satellite communication require increased knowledge for workers in the adventure tourism area.
  

Related Jobs

The following list provides an idea of some of the jobs in the tourism area.

Where there is a relevant occupational description in Saskatchewan Job Futures, you can click on the job to go directly to that description. You’ll learn more about the occupation, including education and training requirements, work duties, wage information and employment trends.

National Occupational Classification (NOC) numbers follow the job title. You can use the NOC numbers to look up the occupations in the NOC.

Restaurant and food service manager (063) Tour/travel guide (644) Amusement attraction operator/worker (644) Hotel front desk clerk (643) Food and beverage server (645) Bellhop (667) Tour bus driver (7412)

Accommodation service manager (063) Travel counsellor (643) Outdoor sport/recreational guide (644) Bartender (645) Visitor information centre staff (644) Event planner (122) Taxi driver (741) Hotel cleaner (666)

Skills and Training

The Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council (STEC) has developed occupational standards, certification and training programs in partnership with other organizations across the country. Descriptions of these can be found on the STEC Standards and Certifications Web page.

Saskatchewan offers two tourism apprenticeships: food and beverage person and hotel guest services representative.

Want to find out what kind of tourism education and training programs are offered in Saskatchewan? Check into What to Study? to find out what’s available and where.

Skills and knowledge that workers in the industry need include:

All Workers

Customer service Stress management Problem-solving Organization Handling customer complaints Communication/ interpersonal skills

Working with numbers Selling skills Decision-making Time management Maximizing customer contacts

Additional Skills for Managers/Supervisors/Operators

Marketing Computers Monitoring/appraising employee performance Orienting and training employees Giving and receiving feedback

Management Internet Financial management/accounting Business planning/development Leadership Motivating

Employers also look for a positive attitude, initiative, ability to work independently, punctuality and productivity.

Other skills and knowledge which may be required in specific tourism areas include: facility management and development; risk management; guiding; interpretation; use of global positioning systems, advanced communication systems and sophisticated fish-finding equipment; food and wine knowledge; proposal writing; public presentation; local area and provincial tourism knowledge; first aid and CPR.

The Future

Tourism Saskatchewan’s marketing plans include a focus on market development in eco/adventure tourism, agricultural tourism and Aboriginal tourism.

Related Information

Visit the following Web sites for more information on the tourism industry:

Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council (STEC)
STEC Standards and Certifications
Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council

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