Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
Tourism Jasper will be opening its new Visitor Experience Centre this May to provide an enhanced space for visitors to learn about the destination.
The centre will be located at 414 Patricia Street beside the Old Fire Hall.
“This is really about driving vibrancy in the downtown core and making sure that people have access to information, readily available, that they can have a guided experience,” said Tyler Riopel, director of destination development with Tourism Jasper.
“It’s really going to be a focus on creating experiences for visitors instead of just handing out information, and so we’re training up our team through the course of this week, and we’ll be all ready to go.
“We’re really excited about this summer. It’s going to be a busy one.”
Tourism Jasper had offered its visitor services at the Visitor Information Centre and briefly in the Old Fire Hall during the pandemic.
Riopel said this new space is needed in order to make space for Parks Canada staff and give more space for Tourism Jasper to deal with the visitor experience and serve all the tourism businesses in Jasper.
Funded in part through the Government of Canada’s Tourism Relief Fund, the Visitor Experience Centre was built by Honomobar, an Alberta-based company, from a repurposed sea can.
The mobile unit was brought in by crane on April 27.
“It’s intended to be a mobile or temporary type of centre,” Riopel said.
“In theory, it could move. We don’t plan on moving it. It’s going to be there for a couple of years.”
The new centre is fully interactive, featuring touchscreens that can be used to research experiences and book experiences, and Wi-Fi will be available so visitors can use their own devices if preferred.
Travel counselors will also be there to assist visitors directly.
“Our team of summer travel counselors are passionate about Jasper and excited to share their tips and tricks on how to explore like a local,” said Meg Olson, Visitor Experience Centre co-ordinator, in a news release.
“Everyone is looking forward to welcoming guests from around the world and making sure they have a memorable experience in Jasper.”
Once the exterior finishes are complete and all the inspections are complete, the new centre is expected to open by May long weekend.
While Tourism Jasper is hoping for a more permanent solution in the future, this Visitor Experience Centre is able to operate year-round and will be used for the foreseeable future.
“So far, it’s been super-positive feedback,” Riopel said.
“Everybody who was walking by was really interested in it, thought it looked really good and it’s amazing what can be done with a sea can and the company that we worked with.”
