Tourism Saskatchewan: Driving Destination Growth Through Niche Travel Experience

Environics Research helped Tourism Saskatchewan reposition the province as a destination for niche travel experiences by identifying high-potential audience segments and aligning offerings with evolving traveller preferences.

About The Project

Environics Research partnered with Tourism Saskatchewan, the province’s destination marketing organization, to help reposition Saskatchewan as a must-visit destination for specialized, nature-based travel experiences. Moving away from one-size-fits-all destination messaging, Tourism Saskatchewan set out to build an interest-based niche marketing strategy that leverages the province’s unique strengths – from world-class dark sky preserves to abundant wildlife – and taps into travellers’ growing desire for authentic, sustainable experiences.

Challenge

Saskatchewan needed to move beyond the perception of being a pass-through destination and stand out in a competitive travel market by showcasing its rich potential: vast unspoiled nature, some of the darkest skies for stargazing, diverse bird species and wildlife, snow-based adventure, and rich Indigenous cultural heritage.

Traditional marketing wasn’t resonating. At the same time, traveller expectations were shifting: audiences increasingly prioritize meaningful, experience-led travel and sustainable options over generic sightseeing. Tourism Saskatchewan identified that a niche strategy – targeting passions such as astronomy, birding, snowmobiling, nature photography, Indigenous tourism, and hunting and angling – could unlock Saskatchewan’s appeal, if the experiences could be packaged and promoted in the right way.

Research Objectives

Tourism Saskatchewan engaged Environics Research to:

Identify Niche Segments

Identify high-potential niche tourism segments aligned with Saskatchewan’s attributes and global travel trends

Understand Niche Audiences

Understand niche audiences across key markets (Canada, the U.S., and the U.K.), including demographics, motivations, barriers, and decision drivers

Assess Gaps in Saskatchewan’s Offerings

Assess gaps in Saskatchewan’s ability to deliver niche experiences (e.g., infrastructure, awareness, partnerships) and recommend how to bridge them through product development, infrastructure, collaboration, and marketing tactics

Deliver Strategic Roadmap

Deliver a strategic roadmap to evolve Saskatchewan from a generalized tourism proposition to a portfolio of compelling niche experiences

Our Approach

Environics used a multi-method approach designed to balance local industry realities with traveller demand:

Stakeholder discovery (Saskatchewan)

We conducted interviews with tourism stakeholders across the province, including park operators, lodge and restaurant owners, and outfitters to capture the current landscape, opportunities, and constraints.

Expert validation + competitive audit

We interviewed tourism experts and niche specialists across Canada, including tour operators and subject matter experts, and assessed Saskatchewan’s niche potential relative to national and international competitors.

Social listening and online intelligence

We identified the online communities where niche enthusiasts gather and analyzed long-form conversations to uncover organic feedback: what excites travellers, what frustrates them, and what influences destination choice.

In-depth interviews with niche travellers

We conducted interviews with niche travellers in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. to explore trip planning behaviours, motivations (including bucket-list goals), and reactions to Saskatchewan’s niche offerings. We brought audiences to life through personas and traveller journeys highlighting mindsets, preferences, and barriers.

Because niche travellers can be difficult to reach through traditional panels, we used an unconventional recruitment approach, running targeted social media ads in high-engagement spaces on Reddit and Facebook, informed by the social listening phase.

Outcomes: Strategy and Rollout

The research delivered a clear picture of both industry readiness and traveller demand, helping Tourism Saskatchewan define where it could win, and what it needed to strengthen to deliver niche experiences credibly.

The findings were used to guide Saskatchewan’s niche tourism strategy and helped Tourism Saskatchewan to:

Identify

Identify and commit to what makes Saskatchewan distinct (experiences rooted in landscape, sky, and culture)

Align

Align local operators and the broader industry around high-potential opportunities

Strengthen

Begin strengthening experiences on the ground through targeted development and partnerships

Shift

Shift Saskatchewan’s reputation from a blank spot on the map to a destination for bucket-list moments and authentic adventure

By investing in niche offerings, Tourism Saskatchewan’s goal is not simply to attract more visitors, but to attract the right visitors: those whose interests align with what Saskatchewan uniquely offers – driving stronger satisfaction, repeat travel, and positive word-of-mouth.

Saskatchewan’s focused tourism strategy has helped the industry grow from $2.4B in visitor spending in 2022 to $3B in 2024. While post pandemic recovery and a broader stay-in-Canada sentiment contributed to this momentum, Saskatchewan’s experience also demonstrates the strength of targeted niche development during periods of external uncertainty, including ongoing Canada–U.S. tensions. Notably, hunting and fishing licence sales to U.S. residents increased by more than 30% between 2022 and 2025, indicating sustained demand even as cross border travel dynamics evolved. This performance highlights the role of Tourism Saskatchewan’s niche market strategy in building resilience and advancing the province’s long-term goal of reaching $3.6B in annual travel spending by 2030.

increase in hunting and fishing licence sales to U.S. residents between 2022 and 2025, despite ongoing Canada-U.S. tensions.

is the province’s long-term goal in annual travel spending by 2030.

Performance

The market research has been incredibly valuable in shaping our content strategy. It’s given our marketing team a clearer understanding of who we’re trying to reach and what resonates with them, which helps us focus our efforts on gathering the right stories and developing more targeted marketing and advertising. Instead of guessing, we’re making more informed decisions and it shows in the work.

Jeannette Lye, Director of Planning & Research

About The Client

Tourism Saskatchewan is the destination marketing organization responsible for developing and promoting tourism in Saskatchewan. Its mission is to connect people with quality Saskatchewan experiences and advance the development of successful tourism operations. Its mandate includes marketing, visitor services, education and training, and product and industry development.

Since 2019, Environics Research has worked with Tourism Saskatchewan as their destination marketing organization research partner, in an integrated partnership; Parks, Culture and Sport; and its agencies to guide and implement their strategic plan, grow the brand, remain resilient and competitive in the market, and position its tourism products resonantly among visitors.

Our Experts

Susan Seto

Senior VP – Market Strategy

Michele Cunningham

VP – Strategy & Insights

Thais Saito

Director – Market Strategy

Report

2025 Canadian Travel and Tourism Outlook Study

The study explores Canadians’ travel outlook and intentions for 2025 through 2026, with a distinct focus on how Social Values influence both their travel mindset and destination choices.

Download Report

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