Travel Manitoba has stopped any promotion outside the province
Liberal leader questions why ad ran in Regina last week with COVID-19 cases rising
Travel Manitoba has suspended all of its out-of-province advertising, as cases of COVID-19 continue to spike.
"Our social platforms may reach people outside [Manitoba], but we have paused all of our out-of-province advertising, at least until the entire province returns to the yellow level of restrictions," said Linda Whitfield, vice-president of marketing and communications for Travel Manitoba.
The tourism arm of the provincial government ran a summer campaign that ended in September, as well as a campaign promoting Churchill to help tour operators who offer polar bear viewing.
On Thursday, Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont questioned why an ad was running in the Regina Leader Post last week promoting Churchill tourism, considering any tourists would have to travel through Winnipeg. He presented a copy of the ad during question period.
"This is a symbol to me. This is a symbol that this government didn't think a second wave was going to happen," Lamont told reporters.
Northern Manitoba is currently under travel restrictions due to COVID-19. The restrictions include an exemption for visitors travelling to Churchill, but require those visitors to travel as directly as possible to and from the community and to limit their use of local services to the minimum required.
Whitfield said the campaign was booked Sept. 23, prior to COVID-19 restrictions in the Winnipeg-area being elevated to code orange.
The ad campaign ran in Regina on October 3 and October 10, but is now done, with nothing further planned.