The province’s Auditor General says that Travel Manitoba does not have the proper systems in place to help achieve Manitoba’s tourism goals.

In a report for the Management of Provincial Tourism, Auditor General Norm Ricard says that Travel Manitoba needs to focus on implementing the plans and strategies it has laid out, and report on the results.

The Crown Corp has been the leading marketing and development body for tourism in the province since 2017.

Ricard found that while Travel Manitoba had outlined goals and objectives in their plans, they did not consider risks that could affect tourism. He noted that Churchill is one of the drivers of tourism to the province, but yet the plan says that climate change is a low risk to tourism in the area.

“The loss of the polar bear’s environment due to climate change would have a significant impact on tourism,” said Ricard.

Ricard adds that there is a lack of specifics on how the plans would be implemented.

The audit also found that while Travel Manitoba consulted with businesses to incorporate feedback into the plans, they did not consult with the government.

Tourism makes up the third-largest source of revenue in the province behind agriculture and mining.

Manitoba sees nearly 11.4 million people come to visit and spend over $1.6 billion during their stays yearly Travel Manitoba’s goal is to reach an annual average of 12.6 million visitors and $2.2 billion in tourism spending by 2022.