Mr. Speaker, I rise today to update the Legislature on continuing activities in support of our territory's most promising growth industry. Tourism is the Northwest Territories' singlelargest renewable resourcebased sector. It has enjoyed continued growth through 2015. Thanks to investments and initiatives undertaken by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment and our many partners and affiliate industry organizations, we are also wellpositioned today to capitalize on even more opportunities in 2016.
Later this afternoon, on behalf of Northwest Territories Tourism, the Government of the Northwest Territories’ destination marketing organization, I will table the recently released “20162017 Marketing Plan Northwest Territories Tourism.” The plan will see our successful “Spectacular Northwest Territories” brand expanded to include “Spectacular Stories” collected, submitted, and shared via Spectacular NWT's website and social media pages. This is a major piece of the organization’s pivot to modern, contentfocused marketing.
The new approach will provide NWT Tourism the ability to costeffectively reach southern Canadian and international audiences with engaging, informative content and attract new and returning visitors to the territory. This type of marketing relies on stories rather than slogans and the North has never had a shortage of great stories to tell. NWT Tourism's 20162017 Marketing Plan will also place renewed focus on engaging businesses and community stakeholders throughout the territory. Recognizing the importance of having regular input from NWT operators to guide their marketing efforts, the organization will be scheduling regular regional and sector consultations. In addition, it will be offering expanded marketing programs that feature a wide variety and price range of cooperative advertising opportunities and information updates.
This informed and strategic approach comes on the heels of an impressive year for tourism in the NWT. We are noting a direct result of the strategies, programs, and initiatives that are already in place. We can now see, for example, that our China trade missions are paying off. The growth of the Chinese middleclass, paired with the low Canadian dollar offer opportunities for even further growth in this area. Only 0.5 per cent of travellers from China currently visit Canada, and a fraction of this number visit the NWT. As we continually invest in improved services and new initiatives, we can obtain a greater share of this lucrative, growing market. This incredible potential is already spawning new investment for our territory. The proposed redevelopment of the treatment centre on Detah Road and several planned and ongoing hotel developments in Yellowknife are testament to the growth and potential of the Asian tourism market. With nearly 7,000 people from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan visiting the NWT last year, we are already also seeing a return on our Aurora marketing investment in higher revenues and local jobs.
But our industry is being built on more than just Asia and the northern lights. We have also seen an influx of visitors in other parts of Canada and the United States. In fact, tourism operators across the NWT reported higher revenues and visitor numbers last summer. The 2015 NWT territorial parks overnight visitor numbers were up by 17.5 per cent despite forest fires, road, and campground closures. Opportunities for whitewater adventures are attracting more and more people to the wild expanse of our territory. We've always known the Nahanni to have a great reputation amongst adventurers, but the winding mountain rivers of the Sahtu are attracting a growing crowd of adventurers as worldclass paddling destinations. We saw yearonyear growth in sport fishing, outdoor adventure, and visitors of friends and family amounting to 24 per cent, 12 per cent, and 22 per cent growth respectively in 20142015. The low Canadian dollar and the robust economic recovery in the US is reflected in a strong surge of Americans coming back to fishing lodges in the NWT, which is great news after several consecutive years of decline in this market.
Many communities in our territory now have ambitions to create and improve their own tourism products, working to capitalize on the unique opportunities that this sector, Aboriginal tourism in particular, provides. To assist and support these ambitions, ITI delivered over $1 million in funding for the development of exciting new tourism products and over $300,000 in tourism infrastructure development and education opportunities in 20142015. Our regional offices put in the hard work each and every day to ensure efficient service delivery to each of our 33 communities. We have heard from the Minister of Finance last week about the challenge that slow economic growth is creating for this government. Strategic investments in promising sectors of our economy like tourism are one of the best ways to address this challenge. We will continue to invest in the opportunities tourism offers in the Northwest Territories in pursuit of a vibrant, diverse economy in step with the economic priorities of this 18th Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers’ statements. Minister of Transportation.
