November 24, 2010 - The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Bob McLeod, welcomed the participants of the 2010 NWT Tourism AGM.

Good day everyone and welcome to the 2010 Northwest Territories Tourism Annual General Meeting.

I would like to congratulate the Board and staff Northwest Territories Tourism’s for putting together an agenda that is full of relevant and informative sessions that will assist us as we strive to grow this sector.

I would also like to thank Canadian North and First Air for providing special airfares that allowed our operators to attend the outdoor adventure workshop the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment sponsored earlier this week. In fact, I would like to thank all 24 sponsors for contributing to this event. It is this kind of support and spirit of cooperation that will allow us to grow the tourism industry of the Northwest Territories.

The Government of the Northwest Territories has long realized the potential of our tourism industry. The ability of this sector to assist us in our goal of diversifying our economy and providing all communities and regions with opportunities and choices is a key reason why this government has invested over $19 million in your sector over the past four years.

This is an important time for the Northwest Territories tourism industry. We have come through a difficult economic period and it has presented your industry with some challenges.

But where there are challenges there are also opportunities. The strength and the resilience you have shown during the past two years will serve you well in the future as you look to make new investments in your businesses, investments that will allow you to take advantage of the opportunities that are out there.

There is great interest right now in the North across the globe. That was made clear when 215,000 people visited Canada’s Northern House during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The time has never been better to market the North and the Northwest Territories to travellers across the world. With our combination of amazing wilderness, wildlife, culture and people, we have the assets to provide visitor experiences few places can match.

Ladies and gentleman, this government will continue to champion our territory as a world-class visitor destination. And we will continue to work with you, the tourism operators of the Northwest Territories, to find ways to reach and expand our industry’s potential.

It is only through working together that we can realize the bright future we all envision for the tourism industry and the Northwest Territories. We cannot achieve our goals by working in isolation. Most importantly, we cannot move forward without the support, participation and investment of the tourism operators of the Northwest Territories.

Thank you.

For more information, contact:

Press Secretary
Office of the Premier/Cabinet
Government of the Northwest Territories
Phone: (867) 669-2302