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Today marks the official start of National Tourism Week! Each day this week we will profile a region in the Northwest Territories (NWT) and the Regional Tourism Development Officers (RTO) who work hard to promote them.
Judith Venaas was three years into retirement when she got the offer to return to the Beaufort Delta Region and her former RTO job for the summer. It’s been said that the call of the North never really leaves a person and this was true in Judith’s case; she was excited to return to Inuvik. She heartily admits to promoting the Dempster Highway, the Beaufort Delta Region and the NWT to anyone who will listen.
Judith started as the Beaufort Delta’s RTO in 1995 and worked tirelessly over the next 19 years to promote and market the region alongside NWT Tourism and local industry. She helped to develop sustainable tourism products, license tourism operators and enforce the Tourism Act in the region’s eight communities. The role also involved overseeing two Visitor Information Centres – located in Inuvik and Dawson City (the gateway to the Dempster Highway).
For Judith, the job has been a wild ride. She has hosted dignitaries including Governor General Michaëlle Jean, assisted production crew for the iconic Tropicana commercial and helped to organize a Dempster Highway promotion (with a NWT diamond prize!).
ITI Projects in the Beaufort Delta Region:
- Cruise Ship Support: In 2016, several cruise ships made stops in the NWT’s northern-most communities, including the Crystal Serenity, who’s 1,000 passengers ventured into Ulukhaktok. ITI’s Beaufort Delta Regional office worked closely with community organizations to ensure they were prepared and supported for the economic opportunity. The visit was a great success and additional cruises are scheduled for 2017.
- Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway: The opening of this northern highway in November 2017 means that GNWT Departments are “all hands on deck”. ITI’s Regional Office in the Beaufort Delta is helping to facilitate economic and employment opportunities for residents in numerous ways. One example is the new Community Tourism Coordinator position which is based in Tuktoyaktuk.
RTO Tips: Not to Miss
- Travelling along the Dempster Highway? Drive into Fort McPherson to visit the graves of the famous “Lost Patrol”, the Visitor Center and the Fort McPherson Tent & Canvas Shop. Also spend some extra time and take the ferry to Tsiigehtchic. Spend a half-day wandering through the beautiful community and see if you can sample some dry fish.
- Lace up your hiking boots and check out the brand new trail south of Gwich’in Territorial Park. Tithegeh Chii Vitaii is a 3km hiking loop with stunning views of Campbell Lake and the Delta. After jaunting down a series of boardwalks, relax at the lookout point where you’ll have a view of gyrfalcon nesting grounds.
- Explore attractions in the town of Inuvik including the Igloo Church, the Inuvik Community Greenhouse (formerly the hockey arena), the Inuvik Research Center, and the Western Arctic Regional Visitor Center. Walk the hiking trails or try your hand at golf above the Arctic Circle.