Having a bilingual information counsellor is coming in handy this summer at the Visitor Centre.
The 551 visitors the Visitor Centre had in June is similar to other years but the increase in people coming from Quebec and Europe is notable, said Randy Goulden, the executive director of Tourism Yorkton.
For francophone guests, receiving information and a welcome is surprising and "brings a smile to their face," she said.
Although neither Yorkton or Tourism Saskatchewan markets to this area, "it's an opportunity for us to sell our province and our city... if they come in here as they're passing through," said Goulden.
Guests from Europe are often visiting family who immigrated into the area, she said.
For people just passing through, Yorkton offers many attractions to draw people in from highway travel. Walking tours, horse races, the casino, and Canada Day celebrations are among the events promoted at the Information Centre.
"We use this as an opportunity to slow them down and stop them here so that they can either spend a few hours or overnight," said Goulden.
The centre also provides a human touch for those seeking out gravesites or old churches. More people are seeking out their roots.
Contacting people in smaller rural areas to help find remote locations "goes down to how do we make connections," said Goulden. "You don't find those in tourism guides."
The centre expects higher numbers of visitors during July and August because school is out for children.
