LAKELAND – Lisa Roper, the host of the television show Lisa Roper Outdoors, is using her platform to promote the Lakeland, highlighting the region and all it has to offer.
Lisa Roper Outdoors is currently being aired on the World Fishing Network and Sportsman Channel Canada. She is also the ambassador for several brands that specialize in outdoor gear, including being the first female in Canada to be a national ambassador for companies like Quantum, Zebco, and Jiffy Ice Drills.
In addition to having a TV show, Roper has become the ambassador for Travel Lakeland, a destination management organization for northeast Alberta. Being an ambassador for Travel Lakeland involves a myriad of jobs, like doing presentations at sportsman shows to promote the area, she explains during a tourism development information sharing event held in St. Paul on Oct. 15.
“We have such a great relationship,” Roper says, adding, she is excited for “the cool projects that we’re going to be doing together.”
Roper is enthusiastic about the future. “I see so much potential in the region,” she says.
As someone who was born and raised in Lac La Biche, “I want people to understand just how much diversification is in this area.”
“It doesn’t matter the level of adventure experience you have – there’s something for everybody. Whether it’s the back country . . . the lake . . . [or] golfing,” she says.
Speaking specifically about tourism in Alberta, many people often talk about the mountains. Everybody wants to go to the mountains, Roper acknowledges.
And while the Lakeland may not have the Rocky Mountains, “what we do have is incredible.”
There are many different lakes, trails, as well as all sorts of outdoor activities people. “There is so much. I believe this whole region is going to just blossom even more so in the next five years,” she says.
Building connections and relationships will be a key in moving tourism forward in the area. There are many people who are passionate about the region, including entrepreneurs, businesses, and organizations like Travel Lakeland, says Roper.
“They want to bring people here.”
She adds, “I think when you get enough of those people in a room – only good things can happen.”
Roper expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to help grow tourism in the Lakeland.
“It’s important to me and to my heart to stay true to this community that I love – this area that I love. And just showcasing to people all that we have to offer,” she says. “We’re well open for business.”