Early results from a survey conducted by the Cochrane Tourism Association (CTA) have revealed that Cochranites are overwhelming supportive of boosting town tourism. The CTA received over 500 responses in a two-month period, closing the survey on July 1. While a full report won’t be delivered until the end of the month, early highlights indicate that 93 per cent of respondents believe there is value in building Cochrane’s tourism industry. Seventy-eight per cent believe that outdoor spaces are one of Cochrane’s best assets; and 79 per cent would recommend the town as a tourist destination. “We’re incredibly pleased with the number of responses we’ve received to the survey so far,” said CTA president John Thomson in a recent release. Early survey results indicate that while Cochranites care to boost tourism, being mindful of balancing that with increasing traffic congestion issues should be top of mind. “There were certainly some comments regarding traffic issues and growth in Cochrane, which were to be expected. It is not our intent to increase tourism in Cochrane to such an extent that we become like Banff, for example,” said CTA executive director Jo-Anne Oucharek. “Our goal is to understand what Cochrane has to offer and what can be done to improve and possibly package these offerings to be able to capitalize on tourists that are coming here already. Instead of day trips, we would look ways to entice people to stay overnight and experience more of Cochrane.” As part of the CTA’s branding initiative – a working group that includes business, community and youth members – has been put together to help make recommendations on how to market Cochrane as a tourist destination. Learn more at cochrane-tourism.ca.
