After public health restrictions and regulations impacted the number of visitors coming to the Drumheller Valley in 2020 and 2021, admissions for some local attractions have returned to a relatively normal level.
Along with rising admissions, there have also been increases to the number of visitors coming from out-of-province-a number which was also impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This July was our busiest July on record since we opened (Tyra, the World’s Largest Dinosaur) in 2000,” says Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Heather Bitz.
Ms. Bitz shares a total of 40,143 people made the climb in July to the viewpoint, located within the mouth of Tyra, overlooking the Drumheller Valley.
Admissions dropped slightly in August, with a total of 36,867 people visiting, though these figures were up some 35 per cent over 2021; these numbers were down slightly from August 2019, the best August on record for visitors, when 39,771 people visited.
While a majority of visitors were from Alberta, Ms. Bitz notes there was an increase in visitors coming from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario over the summer; she adds international visitations are also “slowly coming back.”
“We are pleased with the rebound we saw this summer. We weren’t sure what to expect this year for visitation, but it definitely exceeded our expectations,” Ms. Bitz says.
The Mail also reached out to the Royal Tyrrell Museum regarding their admission numbers over the summer; however, they were unable to provide a response by press time.