Tourism industry on the upswing

Recent domestic and international visitation figures show that Saskatchewan’s tourism industry is on the path to growth. The latest data released by Statistics Canada demonstrate a strong increase in tourism expenditures in Saskatchewan. Travel spending reached almost $2.85 billion in 2023, outpacing the $2.4 billion in spending that was generated in 2022. Similarly, hotel occupancy rates and revenue for 2023 showed significant growth over the previous year. Domestic travel is also showing strong numbers. Saskatchewan experienced 21 per cent growth in overnight visitation in 2023, the most out of all Canadian provinces. In addition to domestic travel, visitation from the United States has increased, with 2023 figures showing a 54 per cent increase in U.S. travellers by car. With the re-introduction of an air route between Minneapolis and Saskatoon, air arrivals increased by 46 per cent in 2023. In addition, fishing and hunting license sales rose by 26 per cent over 2022. The Conference Board of Canada predicts that tourism revenues will continue to increase. Long-term, the Conference Board of Canada estimates that Saskatchewan will reach approximately $3.57 billion in annual visitor expenditures in 2028.

Employment in province reaches all-time high

According to the latest Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey released last week, Saskatchewan’s economy is continuing to grow, Saskatchewan employment reached an all-time high with 16,200 new jobs added year-overyear. Saskatchewan’s unemployment rate also fell in May to 5.6 per cent, down a tick from 5.7 per cent in April and below the national average of 6.2 per cent. The province achieved several other record highs in May, including full-time employment (506,800) male employment (332,000), female employment (282,400), labour force (649,700), population (947,600), and off-reserve Indigenous population (113,400). Major sector gains were reported in professional, scientific and technical services, up 4,800 or 13.9 per cent, along with information, culture and recreation, which saw a gain of 4,000 or 20.9 per cent. Additionally, education services saw a gain of 3,700 or 7.3 per cent. Adding to this growth, the province’s exports for 2022 and 2023 combined reached $102 billion an increase of 52.2 per cent from the previous two-year period of 2020-2021.

Province wants feds to clamp down on AI calls

Saskatchewan is calling on the federal government to address the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and synthesized voices in unsolicited communications. AI technology is evolving rapidly and can pose serious risks if the proper restrictions are not in place to prevent its misuse. A specific area of concern is the use of AI-generated voices, which can be used to clone someone’s voice to misrepresent them. On Feb. 8, the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled that robocalls using AI-generated voices were illegal. Saskatchewan is calling on the federal government to create similar restrictions in Canada. In May, the US FCC imposed a $6 million fine against a man who used an auto dialer and AI-generated copy of President Joe Biden’s voice to discourage people from voting in the 2024 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary. Saskatchewan is urging the federal government to take all appropriate steps to put protections in place in Canada to prevent the misuse of AIgenerated voices and voice cloning.