What’s the next chapter in Neepawa’s story?
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, September 5, 2018
What is Neepawa Tourism doing now?
Photo by Alan Gillies
The Neepawa Tourism Task Force members as they appeared at the branding reveal on May 25 at ArtsForward. The team posed with the logo and tagline for the new tourism campaign, and a barbecue was held.
By Cassandra Wehrhahn
Neepawa Banner & Press
Every town needs tourism. Just over three months ago, on May 22, Neepawa’s branding received a bit of a face lift thanks to members of the Neepawa Tourism Committee and the aid of Travel Manitoba and McKim Communications Group of Winnipeg. The re-branding initiative, with the slogan “where stories take a beautiful turn”, aims to bring more travellers to the community and to improve Neepawa’s tourism profile on a provincial and national level. But what is Neepawa Tourism doing now?
Town of Neepawa Economic Development officer Marilyn Crewe spoke to the Banner & Press regarding updates. Crewe stated that the Neepawa Tourism board is currently working towards building an organized tourism structure that will allow them to get a bank account, and other necessities, for the group to continue putting out projects that will benefit the community of Neepawa.
“We’re working on that [organized tourism structure], and then dividing up the work that needs to be done for tourism in the long-term around social media, print advertising, local events, and merchandise,” said Crewe. “They’re being divided up amongst the committee and planning to move forward on several projects over the next few years.”
Crewe mentioned plans for a visitor’s guide, which would show what Neepawa has to offer, and improved signage. The signage, known as directional signage, would help visitors coming to Neepawa by better showing them how to get to various places while they visit. In short, to “help people get from one place to the next”. Planning for the signs is said to be expected for 2019.
“There is some signage for the golf course and bird sanctuary, but I think it would be good if we had consistent signage,” Crewe relayed. “So if they [visitors] see a certain color or style they will know that that’s the same for all the different attractions in town.”
Neepawa Tourism is still in the early stages with lots to do, but the board, comprised entirely of volunteers, has been working very diligently and enthusiastically about making it work. Crewe referred to the board as “a very dedicated group of volunteers who are working really hard to make this happen for our community”. The group aims to draw in more tourism through the projects implemented and being implemented in the future, which will bring in more revenue from outside the community, provide visitors with a positive rural experience, and potentially extend the amount of time spent visiting the town. Crewe is hoping to show people that Neepawa has something to offer, even if they are only stopping for a few minutes.
