This project was designed to determine:
- Who our visitors are
- Why visitors travel to the NWT
- When and how visitors plan their trips to the NWT
- How and where visitors travel within the NWT
- What visitors do when they visit the NWT
- Whether visitors are satisfied with activities, amenities and facilities in the NWT
- What visitors spend their money on in the NWT; and
- What it is that motivates different types of visitors to travel to the NWT.
For a summary of our findings that may be useful to tour operators and businesses, please click here.

This study is conducted annually. Visitors who wish to participate in the project may pick up their Trip Diaries at the NWT/Alberta Border (60th Parallel Visitor's Center), the Fort Simpson Visitors Center, the Hay River Visitor's Center, Fort Smith Reception Center, the Northern Frontier Visitor's Center and the Dempster Delta Visitors Center in downtown Dawson City. For a summary of our findings that may be useful to tour operators and businesses, please click here.

In addition to the 2008 Trip Diary Project, the Tourism and Parks Division also conducted a telephone survey of visitors who bought NWT Fishing Licenses. The purpose of these surveys was to gain a better understanding of this segment of travelers. For a detailed report of this project, please click here.

A telephone survey was conducted among resident and non-resident campers in 2007 to capture information about camper preferences, opinions on potential pricing and discounts, feedback about the online reservation booking system and overall usage of NWT campgrounds.
The primary objectives of the camp user study were:
- To gauge the use of and satisfaction with the online reservation booking system;
- To determine campsite users' preferred reservation methods;
- To determine the preferred proportion of campsites for extended stay;
- To measure preferred use of extended stay campsites;
- To test the viability of various pricing options for powered and non-powered campsites;
- To determine user perspectives on campsite rate discounts; and
- To highlight differences between residents and visitors using campsites in the NWT.
For a detailed report of this project, please click here.

During the summer of 2009 Park User Satisfaction Surveys were distributed in Territorial Parks across the NWT. The goal of the surveys was to determine the level of visitors' satisfaction with services, amenities and facilities in our Territorial Parks. Click here to view the report.

The goal of this telephone survey is to obtain a broad understanding of current vacation patterns of Canadian immigrants of Chinese, South Asian, Filipino or Vietnamese heritage. We want to have a better understanding of cultural attitudes towards wilderness, camping and parks among these populations to determine the types of facilities, amenities, services and activities that might motivate these populations to visit wilderness areas, and camp in parks in the NWT and other areas of Canada.

Business travelers represent roughly 40% of all visitors to the NWT. As highly significant portion of the visitors to the NWT each year, business travelers represent an area of opportunity for the tourism industry. By catering to the needs of this special population, tour operators may improve their business and in turn, help encourage the development of the tourism industry.

The goal of this research was to investigate:
-Whether or not business travelers typically participate in tourism activities
- What tourism activities business travelers typically participate in
- Why some business travelers don't participate in tourist activities
- What activities business travelers would want to do in the future while traveling on business in the Northwest Territories
- How long business travelers are willing to spend on tourist activities while traveling on business in the Northwest Territories
- How much money business travelers spend while on business in the NWT
- The extent to which promotional materials are successful in encouraging business travelers to participate in tourist activities
- Where promotional materials are most noticeable to business travelers
- General demographic information about business travelers in the Northwest Territories

This study was conducted in the field from 2008-2010. Click here to view the report.

Aurora viewing is a major attraction in the NWT. Each year thousands of visitors travel to the NWT between November and March to view the Northern Lights. A survey was conducted among aurora viewers to determine trends in the sector and satisfaction rates. Click here to view the report.

In 2004, a new digital permitting system was introduced, replacing the paper permit previously being used. The new digital system significantly enhanced the collection and storage of the valuable information from each park permit. After the close of the season, the databases that contain permit information from each region are combined to form a comprehensive record of all park permits sold in the NWT. This report includes historical data from 2005 to 2009. Click here to view the report.

The Tourism and Parks Division assisted NWT Tourism and CDETNO with their tourism marketing conversion study. Click here to view the report.