Backgrounder - CanNor Invests in a Diverse and Expanded Tourism Sector in NWT
CanNor: $100,000 (2012-13)
GNWT Department of Industry Tourism and Investment: $15,000 (2012-13)
The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) is supporting the tourism industry in the Northwest Territories by investing $100,000 in a marketing strategy focused on iconic attractions. The funding will assist the Government of the Northwest Territory's Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment to test their plans for a new marketing strategy to draw visitors to the NWT.
Tourism contributes approximately $100 million annually to the NWT economy welcoming about 65,000 visitors for both summer and winter activities. About 80 percent of visitors are from Canada and more than 35 percent travel to the NWT for business.
In 2011-12 the Northwest Territories Tourism destination marketing organization changed its approach to marketing to focus on five iconic attractions: the Aurora Borealis, Parks and Wilderness, Lakes and Rivers, Culture and People and Northern Realities. Funding from CanNor will support testing the approach in the NWT's key travel markets – Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
The project is part of an industry-wide strategy to diversify and expand the NWT tourism market. The long-term goal is to encourage growth in this sector to create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for Northerners.
This investment is made possible through CanNor's Targeted Investment Program (TIP) under the Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development (SINED).
SINED is one of several economic development programs within CanNor. CanNor is responsible for coordinating and delivering Canada's economic development programs across the North, and for related policy development, research and advocacy.
