The Northwest Territories is home to world-class tourism attractions; and last week representatives of the Dehcho gathered to learn how they could leverage destinations in their region to build their local tourism sectors and communities.
The training, Transforming Dehcho Communities Through Tourism, was held in Fort Simpson February 21-23.
The regionally-focused workshop built on the work of last year’s Community Tourism Champions workshop. It was organized by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment’s (ITI) Dehcho Regional Office and facilitated by Arctic Inspiration Prize winner Brenda Herchmer, of Grassroots Enterprises.
The objectives of the workshop included: accelerating economic development through community-driven tourism, strengthening tourism leadership, and applying a shared leadership approach to community development.
Jennifer Thistle, Manager of Tourism and Parks in the Dehcho Region explains the significance of the workshop:
“We hosted this workshop because tourism is a large and growing industry in the NWT and it can help to improve local economies and quality of life. We know that the Dehcho Region has lots to offer travellers. This workshop was about coming together to harness those offerings to create opportunities within our communities.”
Delegates came from Jean Marie River, Pehdzeh Ki (Wrigley), Nahanni Butte, Sambaa K’e and Liidlii Kue (Fort Simpson). They represented businesses, First Nations organizations, and territorial and federal governments.
Through investment in its Tourism 2020 Strategy, ITI is working to strengthening the NWT’s tourism industry with training and capacity building. Our work supports the 18th Legislative Assembly’s collective priority to grow and diversify the NWT economy.