Minister of Industry Tourism and Investment, Caroline Wawzonek spoke to three certainties this morning in her opening remarks to NWT Tourism’s annual general meeting.
NWT Tourism is the Destination Marketing Organization for the NWT
First, and most importantly, “the GNWT is committed to protecting its tourism industry through the duration of this pandemic,” she said. Secondly, “progress is being made to reopen the NWT” and third “the natural value and attraction of the NWT’s Spectacular tourism product is unchanged.
“As vaccination certificates and passports become the norm, the confidence of the vaccinated traveler will increase and we expect to see leisure travel begin a slow but steady recovery,” the Minister noted. “We need support in the public and private sectors for science, specifically for the medical science that underlies government decisions about vaccination policies.”
Working with the federal government and NWTT, the GNWT has committed over $10 million in areas of tourism relief during the COVID pandemic in the last year and a half. An additional $30 million has flowed to the NWT’s airline industry – a primary lifeline for the NWT tourism industry.
Operational Support Funding Available for NWT Businesses
GNWT announces additional support funding for tourism businesses
Here’s the ‘N2K’ on PREP and STAR
“Our support will not end when the borders reopen,” the Minister promised today, “The Tourism 2025 strategy will guide our ongoing recovery and help reposition our tourism industry for growth and prosperity.”