HUMBOLDT — A fee charged to visitors staying in Humboldt could fund marketing campaigns and events to attract more people to the city.
The city’s marketing committee is investigating the possibility of adding a destination marketing fee within Humboldt, paid by those that are staying at local hotels. The committee is also examining if the fee should be applied to other facilities.
“It's not 100 per cent yet, but it's something that we're working towards because then we can use that pool of money to attract more events into our community, bring more commerce and economic growth to our community,” said Rob Muench, Humboldt’s mayor and a member of the committee.
“We would use that money to market our community out into the province to try to bring in more conventions, events and that type of thing to our community.”
The money would pay for marketing that aims to increase the number of visitors using places like hotels, the golf course and Uniplex convention centre.
“This is, I think, a way of accomplishing that without putting the extra cost on the local taxpayers,” Muench said.
The mayor said a destination marketing fee has been something that’s been discussed the last couple of years, but is something that’s been put on the backburner.
As for how to implement the fee, Muench said the city is talking to the Saskatchewan Hotel and Hospitality Association, as well as other communities in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
“We're looking at trying to find a model that works in our community.”
