Cannabis tourism hits new heights
Ian Stalker
Jennifer Mason says tourists wanting to go pot-ty may help lead to something of a tourism industry rebound.
Mason is the founder of the New Heights Cannabis Tourism Summit, which will be held virtually, Oct. 25, promoting cannabis tourism.
The event will virtually bring together representatives from the cannabis and tourism industries, providing them with information and education on capitalizing on the “budding cannabis tourism industry.” It will include interactive conversations on the ways recreational cannabis experiences can aid post-pandemic recovery efforts in Canada and help the tourism industry bounce back.
Highlights of this year’s event — the third time its being held — include panels on Tourism Recovery & Cannabis; Canadian Cannabis Tourism Study: Trends & Data; On-Premise Consumption: Restaurants, Bars, Café’s Lounges; Festivals, Events & Tours; and Marketing + Media: Cannabis Tourism.
“There’s major potential for a thriving cannabis tourism industry in Canada due to cannabis being federally legal but there are also international opportunities,” Mason says. “For example, California and Colorado both have a fair amount of cannabis tourism experiences, as well as Amsterdam and Jamaica… There’s still a lot to be done regarding cannabis acceptance and legalization but things have come a long way… This (the summit) provides the perfect opportunity for the tourism industry.”
Mason says Ottawa’s decision to decriminalize cannabis provides a “blueprint” for other countries where it remains illegal to rethink their stance.
Cannabis tourism can amount from everything “from purchasing a pre-roll and taking a stroll along a waterfront to staying in cannabis-friendly accommodations to going on cannabis farm tours. The possibilities are endless.”
Mason says this country’s cannabis tourism industry is in its infancy and those interested should remain patient when it comes to possible roadblocks and regulations. But she states that she’s convinced that Canadian cannabis tourism has great prospects. “There’s so much potential for the industry, since cannabis is still illegal in most countries,” adding it’s beneficial to this country’s tourist trade to enable visitors to “easily purchase cannabis while exploring all of the amazing tourism experiences Canada already offers.”
That is seen as particularly true as the pandemic hampers international travel.
Mason believes it will be mutually beneficial for those in cannabis tourism to work with other sectors of the travel industry.
“I strongly believe in partnerships — finding other brands and businesses that are targeting the same consumer,” she says. “This will drive the industry forward. A rising tide floats all boats.”
