Tourism Saskatchewan Industry Communications
102, 202-4th Avenue North S7K 0K1 Saskatoon, SK, Canada

November is National Career Month. Hotel General Manager is a tourism career found in Saskatchewan. Hotel General Managers excel at motivating employees, hile constantly monitoring, evaluating and adjusting all aspects of daily hotel operations. Effective hotel general managers ensure that business runs smoothly and generates profit. Hotels come in many sizes, ervice levels and locations, requiring Hotel General Managers to be flexible and willing to fulfill multiple roles w...hen required. Our Guide to Tourism Careers in Saskatchewan describes more than 40 career paths, including the stories of people who have built exciting tourism careers - people like Patty Schweighardt, General Manager of Delta Hotels by Marriott Saskatoon Downtown. https://industry.tourismsaskatchewan.com//educators-resour... #NationalCareerWeek #IHeartTourismCareers My name is Patty Schweighardt. I am the General Manager of Delta Hotels by Marriott Saskatoon Downtown. I started my career as a dishwasher/sandwich maker at the Saskatoon Inn. I quickly moved up the ladder to food runner and busser, then hostess in the hotel restaurant. I spent 10 months in Vancouver working as a night manager in a restaurant, then returned to the Saskatoon Inn to work switchboard until being offered Front Desk Agent. I moved up to Front Desk Supervisor, then Front Office Manager, Director of Rooms and Director of Operations until becoming General Manager. I was the first woman to manage a full-service hotel in Saskatoon. I stayed at the Saskatoon Inn until I moved to the Delta Hotels by Marriott Bessborough as Director of Operations in 2007. I took my current job as General Manager in 2008. I love what I do everyday. I can make someone’s day and turn a less positive experience around. My associates trust me. In any interaction with customers or other associates, they know I will help to achieve a positive resolution. I grew up in the industry. I believe strongly in my ability to affect positively all three pillars of accommodationguests, associates and profit. There are huge opportunities for leadership in this industry. The potential for growth is unlimited. It is a very rewarding career, so learn everything about what you do right now. You never know what opportunity is around the corner. Be prepared to work hard. There is no room for lazy people in accommodation.

Congratulations to the Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic on winning the 2019 Marquee Event of the Year Award at the recent virtual Saskatchewan Tourism Awards of Excellence gala! This amazing event took place in October, 2019 and offered hockey fans the chance to see an regular season outdoor NHL game live at Mosaic Stadium! The event drew over 20,000 visitors and featured a free outdoor festival in addition to the game between the Winnipeg Jets and the Calgary Flames. It helped to generate $20 million of economic activity in our province. https://youtu.be/ioVYP6D7mFE

We were so honoured to recognize Bradley Muir as a Tourism Builder at our recent Saskatchewan Tourism Award of Excellence virtual gala. Brad has left an indelible imprint on Saskatchewan’s tourism industry during almost 40 years of involvement and leadership. He was a nature/heritage interpreter in Prince Albert National Park for 30 years. He helped lay the groundwork for experiential, nature-based tourism in Saskatchewan. In 1997, he launched Sundogs Excursions, which offers... dogsledding experiences and fosters appreciation of the animals, the boreal forest ecology and the guest’s place in the ecosystem. Sundogs Excursions became an award-winning company and a Canadian Signature Experience. Here are Brad’s remarks, which were shared with those that attended our virtual event on November 10: Gratitude. Thanks. Appreciation. Acknowledgment. I’d like to let all those I've worked with in tourism know that it's been great to have you there to help move along the messages and encouragements about travel in Saskatchewan, especially in the north and north-central areas. There are so many who share the love of these 'necks of the woods' whom I've encountered. I hope those with better heads and capable, stronger hands will build upon the solid foundation that I have experienced. I have to offer for your consideration these two, short epigrams cobbled from some others: "There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, A rapture on the lonely shore, There is society where none intrudes. I love not man the less, But nature more." And finally, "I work to build a home for the sense of wonder, and encourage all to abide there.

Congratulations to CAA Saskatchewan on being named the 2019 Tourism Employer of the Year at our recent virtual Awards of Excellence gala! CAA Saskatchewan is a long-standing Employer of Choice, and are in-house facilitators for Service Best Customer Service and Selling is Service training. They strive to attract and retain staff through a mix of incentives, opportunities for advancement in the tourism industry and a respectful, dynamic workplace. Celebrating their award win are five long-term employees of CAA Saskatchewan: Gini, Susan, Gwen, Maureen and Angie. Congrats again!