April 4, 2019

Tourism operators in Tuktoyaktuk received tips and tricks for expanding their tourism businesses last weekend.  They came as part of training organized by the GNWT’s Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI).

A Business, Market, and Trade Ready (BMT) Standards workshop was delivered in the community to help operators develop and refine their operations and make a mark in their target markets.  For the six businesses participating, it meant focusing on ways to gear their marketing and sales efforts towards the array of new visitors coming up the new highway as Canada’s Arctic coast becomes more accessible than ever.

For Minerva Ward, ITI’s Regional Tourism officer, it was a successful day of learning.  “There’s a lot of energy in the community surrounding tourism.  With people from all over the world flocking to our piece of the Arctic, the established businesses here know the time is now to take their businesses to the next level.”

Leading into another summer season, ITI’s tourism training programs aim to to get operators ready to do just that. And, if the 122% increase in visitors to the Beaufort Delta’s parks last summer is any indication, there’s going to be a whole lot of demand to take advantage of.

Providing training and development for current and aspiring operators is a foundational part of the GNWT’s Tourism 2020 strategy — a five-year investment push designed to grow and diversify the NWT’s largest renewable resource sector.