Chappell Roan's breakup song drives unexpected tourism buzz for Saskatchewan, Canada
Grammy winner Chappell Roan's new song has unexpectedly put Saskatchewan in the spotlight, driving increased interest in Canada's sunniest province, its tourism authority told ABC News.
In her latest single "The Subway," released last week, Roan playfully suggests "movin' to Saskatchewan" as a cure for heartbreak. Even before the song's official release, Tourism Saskatchewan reported more than 230 social media mentions and nearly 40,000 interactions related to the region.
"It's great news for our province," Jonathan Potts, CEO of Tourism Saskatchewan, told ABC News on Monday. "It's a lot of fun to have such a wonderful, popular artist singing our praises and giving us the opportunity to tell the story of Saskatchewan."
When asked about the region's reception to Roan, who is a prominent voice in the LGBTQ+ community, Potts emphasized Saskatchewan's welcoming nature.
"People are reacting very positively. It's a very open, welcome province. Everybody is welcome here, and everybody belongs here," he told ABC News.
Located in Canada's prairie region and bordered by Alberta, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota, Saskatchewan boasts an impressive 2,000 to 2,500 hours of annual sunshine, according to the Canada Visa website. Home to just over 1.1 million residents, the province's largest urban centers include Saskatoon, with 300,000 residents, and the capital city Regina, with approximately 240,000 inhabitants.
The province, which Potts described as being "almost the size of Texas," is launching a marketing campaign to capitalize on the unexpected attention.
"Half the province is covered by forests and lakes. We've got 100,000 lakes in the province, lots of space, lots of great opportunities to find yourself," Potts said. "Whether you're getting over a breakup like maybe the song implies, or whether you're coming for some peace and quiet, or some of the best freshwater fishing in the world, this is the place for you."
