In order to increase awareness of their region Community Futures White Horse Plains and other local stakeholders came up with a plan for some unique public tours of the Central Plains region.

Aimed primarily at local residents, and secondly to those outside the region, the regional tour initiative was implemented in cooperation with several partners: Community Futures White Horse Plains, Central Plains Tourism Network, Central Plains Inc., and Country Roads Agri-Tourism Product Club.

A pilot “Crafty-Tea House” tour was held in November 2001, with 47 participants leaving from Portage la Prairie, and visiting teahouse and craft-related destinations at St. François Xavier, Cypress River, Holland and Curtis Ridge.

A waiting list of 17 names indicated there was considerable interest in the tour. Evaluations completed by participants indicated there was a high level of satisfaction for the tour, and willingness to take part in future tours.

Based this interest, the organizers decided it was time to
commercialize the endeavor, and “give” the tour to local operators. Red-White & Blue Getaways of Portage la Prairie, and Indigo Destinations of Matlock, were offered support and assistance by Central Plains Tourism Network to organize similar tours.

In November 2001, the two tour companies arranged for a group tour of three craft sales that were all taking place on the same day throughout the region. A bus of 47 participants left from Portage la Prairie, with another bringing 15 visitors from the Selkirk-Stonewall areas of the Interlake region. Participants traveled to destinations within the Central Plains region of Manitoba, and purchased locally crafted items.

The 62 tour participants spent in excess of $2,570 purchasing craft items and the tour operators spent approximately $800 on local food and refreshments for the day.

The tours increased the level of sales for vendors, provided extra patrons for the food establishments, and brought visitors to places they might otherwise never have had the opportunity to visit. Evaluations indicated many of the participants would otherwise not have opportunity to travel to these venues.

Another day tour, “This Ain’t Grandpa’s Farm”, was organized for September 2002, exploring agricultural diversification in the region. Locations visited included a roadside produce stand, a sea buckthorn orchard, a meat goat farm, a miniature horse farm specializing in breeding stock and show animals, a B & B/restaurant located on a farm, a guest ranch, and a Hutterite colony specializing in manufacturing. This tour proved to be as popular as the Crafty-Tea House tour, and plans are in place to continue offering this tour as well.

In 2002 the Central Plains Tourism Network was nominated for a 2002 Manitoba Tourism Award, based on the success of the tours, as well as the eagerness of tour companies to incorporate the concept into their regular regime. Substantial media attention has ensured that the tours have been recognized as newsworthy, which has in turn raised the level of awareness in the region of the many destinations of interest to both local residents, as well as tourists.