March 21-24, Ulukhaktok Community Hall was the centre of the first major training push for Arctic Coastal communities getting ready for increased cruise ship traffic in the high Arctic.

The Cruiseship Readiness Training workshop covered the basics of the cruiseship industry, best practices for shore excursions, and marketing to cruiseship operators to build capacity in High Arctic communities to help them capitalize on the coming cruiseship boom.  

The workshop was funded through the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment’s (ITI) Tourism Product Development Program and facilitated and by the Inuvialuit Community Economic Development Organization (ICEDO) — a division of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation — with organization help from ITI and training consulting by Blue Ice Communications.

Funding also covered costs for event infrastructure for communities, such as tables, chairs, and tents to support vendor operations in the communities.

Anne Kokko, a Tourism Development Officer based out of ITI’s Inuvik office, was ITI’s point-person on the project. She could hardly be more excited. “This training will give community members the confidence and resources to build businesses catering to this exciting new industry,” Kokko says. “We already know how vibrant the culture is here in the High Arctic and our community members are now poised to share it with the world and create opportunities along the way.”

All told, 50 participants joined in the training on select days, with 27 choosing to complete the full four-day workshop. By all accounts, it was an energetic, positive, successful initiative.

Here’s to exciting days ahead for our friends on the Arctic coast.