HAY RIVER (June 16, 2014) – The NWT is expected to have a convention bureau as of January 1, 2015, thanks to a new contribution agreement between the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) and Northwest Territories Tourism (NWTT).
The agreement will fund NWTT to provide services typically offered by convention bureaus, like providing support for conference planners and identifying the key business partnerships required to hold a successful conference in locations across the territory. An NWT bureau will attract more business travellers to the territory and provide spin-off benefits for transportation suppliers, hotels, restaurants, artisans and tour operators throughout the territory.
“The convention bureau will fill a gap in our collective efforts to attract meetings and conventions to the NWT, which offers an attractive alternative to the traditional big city destinations that dominate the meetings and conventions market,” said Minister of ITI David Ramsay. “I am confident that this bureau will result in bigger and better conferences and events coming to the territory and that all of our regions will benefit from visitors who travel to other parts of the territory before and after their meetings.”
“This initiative is about putting in place the strategic partnerships with local communities and local businesses with the support of the GNWT,” said Don Morin, Chairperson of NWT Tourism. “Over the next few months our focus is on putting in place the coordinated framework with a number of communities that will enable us to work together proactively to market the NWT as a great place for meetings and conventions and to respond collaboratively to sales leads from our own sales teams or others.”
The agreement, signed in Hay River last Friday, supports the 17th Legislative Assembly’s priorities to strengthen and diversify the economy and increase employment opportunities.
Establishing a convention bureau was one of the recommendations in the NWT Economic Opportunities Strategy, prepared by a partnership including the NWT’s primary economic stakeholders and presented to the GNWT last year as a guide to advancing growth and sustainability in the NWT’s grass roots economy.
For more information:
Alayna Ward
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Industry, Tourism and Investment
Government of the Northwest Territories
Tel: (867) 920-8696
Email: alayna_ward@gov.nt.ca
Cathie Bolstad
Executive Director
Northwest Territories Tourism
Tel: (867) 873-5007
Email: executive@spectacularnwt.com