The Town of Okotoks has started the process of developing a 5-year Tourism Strategy & Action Plan that will guide tourism management and responsible tourism development for years to come.

This plan will explore smart, creative ideas to boost our local economy, support small businesses, and celebrate everything that makes Okotoks a great place to live and visit.

Phase 1 of the project, which was a detailed review of tourism in Okotoks, pointed to many local highlights —like our walkable downtown, beautiful parks, popular events, and growing sports and culinary scenes. It also revealed exciting opportunities, including:

• Improving visitor amenities and public spaces, especially downtown
• Creating unique tourism experiences throughout Okotoks—think food tours, festivals, outdoor adventures and sports events
• Encouraging more collaboration between businesses and local organizations

Tourism development is a key priority in the Town’s Economic Development Strategic Plan, aiming to strengthen the local economy, create jobs and highlight what makes Okotoks such a special place.

The goal of the strategy is to provide recommendations to help grow the visitor economy while preserving the town’s unique charm, fostering community pride and shaping a future that benefits all. By building on our strengths and gathering fresh ideas from the community, we can create a tourism strategy that supports responsible growth and reflects the spirit of Okotoks.

This past spring, the Town conducted community engagement in the following ways. Details on what we learned will be shared with the community later this summer.

• Pop-up events at the Recreation Centre and Seniors Centre
• One-on-one interviews with local business owners
• Facilitated roundtable discussions with business owners, tourism operators, event organizers, culinary entrepreneurs and sports tourism stakeholders
• Business survey
• Community member questionnaire