Saskatchewan’s tourism sector recovered in 2022, but still has a ways to go

Saskatchewan’s hospitality sector was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the head of Hospitality Saskatchewan expects the “visitor economy” to make a big comeback in 2023, as long as employers work on new ways to attract workers.

In 2022, the industry has been recovering steadily when compared to the last few years according to CEO Jim Bence. Some establishments have even seen business comparable to pre-pandemic levels.

“When we look way back to the beginning of the year, which seems like so long ago, we had great anticipation of the summertime, and it came around for us,” Bence told CJME/CKOM’s John Gormley.

“We’ve got one employer, (a) full-service hotel, having a December that he hasn’t seen since 2015. Restaurants are packed. We are really excited.”

All the news hasn’t been sunny, however. Even with the recovery, Bence said the industry still suffered from a labour shortage throughout the year. Bence said many businesses are offering wages above minimum in an effort to attract more workers.

“It’s not just on the wage piece; many operators are now looking at their benefits packages,” Bence said. “It’s very competitive. In order to stay competitive in this space, you have to make sure you know what your competitor is paying (and) what do the benefits look like.”

Bence said he believes the hospitality sector is also suffering from a bit of a perception problem. Many potential workers see the industry as very volatile, he said, which is often true of the service industry in general.

“We got a bit of a black eye,” Bence said. “Flexibility and autonomy is a key piece, particularly with youth.”

Employers have to adapt and show people, especially young people, that working in the hospitality sector is a viable career path, Bence said.

“I think it’s imperative that we get back in front of kids, teachers, guidance councilors, to talk about the unbelievable opportunities in our industry,” he said. “(How we) can attract people to the hospitality industry again is really important for us in 2023.”