June 17, 2019

The annual Canadian Council of Tourism Ministers’ meeting wrapped up in Halifax over the weekend.

News Release – Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Tourism

The CCTM is taking place at an important time, as a number of governments across the country – including the GNWT are launching work on new tourism strategies.

Ministers and senior officials discussed shared goals for the tourism sector, including spreading the benefits of tourism to communities across the country, increasing visitation outside of the peak tourism season, and developing compelling new experiences and products.

In 2018, Canada experienced a second consecutive record-breaking year for tourism, welcoming over 21 million tourists for the first time ever. With over $100 billion in total spending by tourists last year, the tourism sector is a vital part of the Canadian economy, supporting 1.8 million jobs.

In the NWT, visitor spending surpassed $200 million for the first time in 2017-18 as the territory welcomed a record 112,000 visitors.

The NWT’s presence at this year’s meeting had a secondary significance this year – as the meeting concluded with an invitation by Deputy Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Tom Jensen to reconvene the annual gathering next year in the Northwest Territories.

With planning for the 2019 event still not finalized, Jensen advised his colleagues that he could not confirm whether the GNWT would be showcasing its famous midnight sun or the Aurora Borealis.  “Both are worth the trip,” he noted   “and either way, we look forward to giving you a taste of our famous northern hospitality next year in the Spectacular NWT.”

His presentation concluded with a video from Northwest Territories Tourism - the GNWT’s official Destination Marketing Organization.

Spending by business travelers to the NWT totalled over $87,000 in 2017-18, an increase of 24 percent from 2016-17.