The Cochrane Tourism Association (CTA) is holding its online public feedback survey on how to improve the town as a tourist draw until July 1. Since the survey launched a week ago, around 100 surveys have been completed and the goal is 1,000 to get a well-rounded representation of what the community sees as current and future needs to help develop and implement a tourism strategy. "We had a lot of great feedback from the Trade Show (last weekend) ... we need feedback from the residents to tell us what they want," said Jo-Anne Oucharek, executive director of CTA, adding that community members interested in volunteering for the CTA's working group should reach out to her. Survey takeaways so far include finding ways to improve tourism use of the Bow River. Oucharek said the town is challenged by only having one river access in town - under the bridge where Highway 22 and Griffin Road intersect. Collaborative efforts to create other river access points would be necessary to beef river tourism. Survey participants have also noted that while Cochrane has a number of smaller to mid-sized events, putting together more marquis events like a blues or country music festival would be favourable. Events that continue to gather momentum include the Lions Labour Day Rodeo Weekend and Parade, Light Up and the Cochrane Fair - which also includes bull riding and bucking horses for an August weekend of rodeo fashion. Along with taking a few minutes to participate in the survey, the CTA is also asking residents and tourists to take photos around town and send them into the social media stratosphere with the hashtag #VisitCochraneAB as part of the association's social media campaign. To do the survey, visit www.cochrane-tourism.ca/survey.
