May 6, 2022

Whether you’re a young person trying to decide if tourism is right for your future career or an established tourism operator looking to increase your reach and effectiveness, ITI’s tourism mentorship programs will pair you with an experienced mentor who can help determine your specific goals and how to achieve them.

Tourism operators in the NWT know what the NWT has to offer. ITI’s mentorship programs for the tourism industry helps these experts ensure that they have the tools to improve their business management, engage with keen young people who want to learn the trade, develop marketing tools and know-how to broaden their customer base, streamline offerings to minimize overhead costs, and more.

See if one of these programs is right for you!

For both programs apply through your regional office by May 30, 2022.

Tourism Business Mentorship Program – PROGRAM DETAILS

Delivered in partnership with the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO), the Tourism Business Mentorship Program provides mentorships in a wide variety of topics that are of interest to tourism operators and tourism businesses. Whether you need to streamline planning or accounting practices, or help to develop better recruitment and advertising tools, this mentorship program can help.

Jonathan Antoine, the Community Tourism Coordinator for the Líídlįį Kúę First Nation, learned about developing a marketing plan, and how to package and price community-based tourism products in the town of Fort Simpson.

Verda Law from Yellowknife Tours took part in the program in 2021-22 and worked with a volunteer CESO mentor using online platforms for their mentorship sessions during the pandemic. Law observed that despite more than a decade of experience, she “learned that you can know your product very well and still have a lot to learn about target audiences, niche markets, and evolving technologies and strategies.”

Youth Mentorship in Tourism Program - PROGRAM DETAILS

In addition to boosting the business acumen of tourism operators, ITI offers the Youth Mentorship in Tourism Program specifically to help youth determine if the tourism industry is the right career path for them. By applying for one of these two mentorship streams, young people between the ages of 16 and 26 can gain experience in a tourism field that interests them.

• The Industry Awareness Stream is designed for mentees seeking more knowledge and experience in the industry, but who may already be employed or still in school. This stream will help improve the mentees’ understanding and experience within the tourism industry over a minimum three-month mentorship period.
• The Path to Employment Stream provides mentees with opportunities to learn specific skills in an area of their choice with the goal of employment at the mentor’s place of business.

Mentees and mentors are encouraged to apply together, but if mentees need help finding mentors, ITI’s Regional Tourism Operators are happy to provide assistance.

In addition to mentorship programs, ITI can also help with other training experiences. Please check out the Tourism Training Fund to see if you are eligible for assistance with learning and upgrading skills. The deadline for training applications is also May 30, 2022.