The pandemic was perhaps the best that could have happened to cannabis tourism
Believe it or not, staying home could have been a much-needed catalyst for cannabis tourism in Canada. With the worst of the COVID pandemic nearing its end (hopefully) in North America and borders reopen, the hard-hit tourism sector is eager to bounce back.
Prior to the pandemic, analysts suggested that cannabis tourism – also known as cannabis tourism – could ultimately add $ 2 billion a year to the Canadian economy. Despite the projected earnings, Canada’s cannabis-friendly tourism industry has been a bit of a non-starter.
The industry was ready, but the infrastructure was simply lacking. Could the post-pandemic world offer a second chance for a resilient cannatourism industry to develop?
Huge potential without momentum or infrastructure
According to analysts, legalization resulted in a 38% increase in international tourist visits to Canada in 2019. It did so despite state and provincial regulations that made it nearly impossible for a company to provide cannabis – or a space to consume it – to customers.
“The truth is that people who are consumers want to live in an environment where they are welcome and cannabis is normalized.”
says Danielle ‘Miz D’ Jackson, co-founder of Canna Life Travel.
Provincial regulators were unwilling to advocate cannatourism, making it nearly impossible to find or use with limited retail options and laws banning smoking both outdoors and indoors.
Certain regions even went so far as to restrict cannabis themselves in order to impede cannatourism companies in many places, which led to outrage among aspiring operators.
“It’s just unfortunate that tourism was never on the government’s radar for legalization,” said Danielle “Miz D” Jackson, co-founder of Canna Travel Life.
Cannabis was always a part of her experience while traveling, so Miz D spent the lead up to legalization organizing cannabis-related events and figuring out what works.
What do #Cannatourists really want? Find out from a variety of different travelers this Thursday!
If you are a business, service provider or marketer in the #cannatourism niche, don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain invaluable invaluable insights straight from the source! pic.twitter.com/QtBc4ThAWx
– Miz D (@Dvibz) May 31, 2021
“[Those early days] has brought a lot of challenges, but also a lot of opportunities, “explains Miz D.” We’ve had a lot of support and we still have a lot of support from mainstream travel, tourism and the hospitality industry. “
While Miz D and other key players initially had high hopes for tourism after legalization, those hopes have been dashed. Now, she says it is possible that the pandemic has changed the way the government and stakeholders view cannabis tourism as an industry.
The pandemic may have helped cannabis tourism
The surprising news about cannatourism, says Miz D, is that it has grown steadily since legalization in 2018 – and the pandemic could be one of the best things that could have happened to the sector.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, cannabis was considered essential,” says Miz D. “This changed people’s perception that cannabis was only made for fun.”
In fact, for many Canadians, cannabis is synonymous with relieving the stress associated with the pandemic. “It has become an integral part of their personal wellbeing, whether they are medical consumers or adult consumers.”
People who found themselves in a state of emergency, where cannabis was vital but travel was impossible, brought the two ideas together, says Miz D. “They began to want to avoid compromising their accessibility to cannabis on their travels. When they start thinking about travel now, consumers just don’t want to have to choose. “
Legalization does not mean normalization
Since legalization, the concept of cannabis tourism has changed.
Miz D emphasizes the importance of understanding the modern consumer and their needs. Some were surprised that many consumers are looking for an all-inclusive vacation in a family-friendly setting.
“Most people didn’t think that about cannabis tourism,” she laughs, recalling early cannabis tourism efforts that focused mostly on the consumption that cannabis tourists simply don’t look for.
“Not every meal I eat on vacation has to be brewed!” She laughs. “The truth is that people who are consumers want to live in an environment where they are welcome and cannabis is normalized.”
Cannatourism means never smoking in a shady alley again
Normalization is very different from legalization, notes Miz D, recalling a visit to a fair in Colorado not long after that state legalized Products Safe in late 2012.
She remembered that he had said, “Well, if you go down the alley over there behind the dumpster, everything will be fine.”
And she thought to herself: “Here I am in a legal environment and I’m still in the alley and behind the dumpster.”
“You are still in this unsafe situation. When you travel you don’t have the same access as a local. You don’t have a home to go to, consume, and that’s a really, really big part of cannatourism. “
Miz D says Vancouver’s New Amsterdam Café is a great example of cannabis-driven tourism. This smoke-and-steam lounge has been around since 1998, and while operating without a permit, it’s still a huge Vancouver tourist draw and remains open to this day.
She remembers bringing two guests from Colorado to smoke a joint while they enjoyed the coffee shop’s tea, baked goods, and other foods.
“They said to me, ‘My God, we can’t even do this in Colorado.”
Hotels and hospitality services are essential
For Miz D, the way operators treat and inform their guests is where the rubber hits the streets in cannatourism. She believes that even large hospitality companies like Hyatt and Four Seasons could easily jump into the field by offering brochures with promotional cards informing guests about local retail locations and consumption regulations.
“In tourism, we have the opportunity to do what legalization didn’t do, namely normalization,” which Miz D explains that this was never the government’s goal for legalization.
“[People are] looking for a place where they are not only not ostracized or discriminated for because they are consumers, but also welcome because of that – and there are provisions to support them. “
We see this in Smith Falls, Ontario; Miz D points out how Canopy completely redesigned the city as a cannabis destination. This shift came in part thanks to the support of both the Chamber of Commerce and the City Council. Miz D believes that any city or town could replicate what Smiths Falls has accomplished with the right infrastructure and community support.
Consumer focus is the way forward
At some point, it will be impossible for governments to sit on their hands. Cannatourism ultimately has the potential to be just as lucrative as tourism in wine regions – while offering a safer product for consumption.
“Instead of trying to exclude the consumer’s voice from regulatory discussions,” she says, “the government just has to say, ‘It happens: how do we deal with it?'”
Cannatourism is not only potentially profitable, it also offers an opportunity for social justice. “[Cannabis tourism] offers entrepreneurs with a smaller budget the opportunity to set up a company “, says Miz D. Basically, in the cannatourism sector, especially in the tour business, you can set up a company practically for free.
This means that the government must ultimately recognize and – Miz D hopes – adopt cannatourism, recognizing stakeholders, cannatourism operators and cannatourists themselves as no less important to the economy than any other company or its customers.
By submitting this form, you subscribe to Leafly news and promotional emails and agree to Leafly’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages at any time.
Post a comment: