Destination Marketing Fee
What is the destination marketing fee?
The destination marketing fee is a voluntary 4% fee collected by participating Saskatoon Destination Marketing Hotels on guest room revenue.
The fee is part of a Destination Marketing Program that allows participating hotels to pool resources and invest collectively in growing overnight visitation to Saskatoon.
Rather than each hotel working independently to generate demand, the program creates a shared investment fund that supports citywide destination marketing, sales, and visitor-focused initiatives.
How are destination marketing funds used?
Destination marketing funds are invested in initiatives that attract visitors to Saskatoon and encourage longer stays throughout the year.
Key areas of investment include:
- Business events and conventions — supporting efforts to attract conferences, meetings, and events that generate significant overnight stays.
- Sporting events — helping Saskatoon compete for tournaments, championships, and other events that bring athletes, families and spectators to the city.
- Destination marketing — promoting Saskatoon to travellers in key markets across Canada and beyond.
- Leisure travel — supporting campaigns and initiatives that give visitors more reasons to choose Saskatoon and stay longer.
- Visitor-focused initiatives — investing in opportunities that strengthen Saskatoon’s appeal and enhance the visitor experience.
All investments are focused on growing visitation and strengthening Saskatoon’s position as a competitive destination.
How does the program work?
Saskatoon Destination Marketing Hotels is a voluntary, not-for-profit organization representing participating hotels.
Discover Saskatoon serves as trustee for SDMH and works in partnership with the organization to deliver destination sales, marketing and visitor-focused initiatives supported by destination marketing funds.
This structure allows Saskatoon’s hotel sector to invest collectively in opportunities that individual properties could not pursue alone, while maintaining a clear focus on generating overnight visitation and strengthening the city’s visitor economy.
Why do participating hotels invest?
A strong destination creates demand.
Major events fill hotel rooms. Conferences introduce new audiences to Saskatoon. Destination marketing inspires leisure travel and encourages visitors to stay longer and return.
By investing together, SDMH hotels help grow the overall market for travel to Saskatoon and support a stronger, more resilient hospitality and tourism sector.
It is a collaborative, innovative, and sustainable approach to destination growth.