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ITIkicksoffTourism2020strategywithcommunityinputIndustrybrings132.5million90000visitorstoterritoryin2013-1412TuesdayNovember42014INDUSTRYTOURISMece.gov.nt.caadvanced-educationLinkingPeopleandPossibilitiesCelebratingSkilledTradesandTechnologyCommunityNameTradeEmployerEnterpriseDanielRichardsPowerlineTechnicianNorthlandUtilitiesNWTLtd.HayRiverFortSmithAmyWardPartsTechnicianPartsTDCContractingLtd.CraigCrawfordInstrumentTechnicianDiavikDiamondMinesInc.HayRiverAustinLarocqueAutomotiveServiceTechnicianDeBeersCanadaMiningInc.CameronSappHeavyEquipmentTechnicianGNWTDepartmentofTransportationDavidNolanCarpenterArcticCanadaConstructionLtd.JohnDahlElectricianConstructionZappedElectricJohnPidhirniakPlumberGastterBTaylorandCompanyMichaelYoungGastterAStittcoEnergyLimitedMichaelGiesbrechtWelderConceptEnergyServicesLtdTristanCampbellIndustrialMechanicMillwrightDiavikDiamondMinesInc.TopMarkrecipientsarehonourrollapprenticeswhoachievethetopmarkintheirleveloftechnicaltrainingduringtheacademicyear.Congratulationstothe2014ApprenticeshipandOccupationalCerticationTopMarkAwardRecipientsfromtheSouthSlave14111WW0Orderkeytagsonline.TheWarAmps1800250-3030waramps.caCharitableRegistrationNo.131969628RR0001TheWarAmpsdoesnotreceivegovernmentgrants.WhenyouusekeytagsyousupportchildamputeeslikeAudrey.EverySetofLostKeysHasaStoryWelostourkeysatahockeygameoutoftownincludingourexpensive-to-replacesmartkeyforthecar.OurWarAmpskeytagdiditsjobwhenourkeyswerereturnedtouslastweekbycouriermuchtoourrelief.WarAmpssupporterTheKeyTagServiceitsfreeanditworks.Nearly14000setsoflostkeysarereturnedeveryyear.ByDALICARMICHAELTheNWTstourismin-dustryisexpandingrap-idlyandthegovernmentistakingstepstoensuretheimportantfiscalresourcecontinuestogrowaccord-ingtoofficials.OverthelastmonthrepresentativesfromthedepartmentofIndustryTourismandInvestmentITIhavebeentravelingtheterritorylookingforinputfromthecommuni-tiesonwaystodiversifytourismasacommercialindustrylayingthebricksfortheTourism2020stra-tegicplan.Weareheretogetinputfromthetourismstakehold-ersintheNWTaboutwhattheythinkweshouldbedoinggoingforwardinthenextveyearsandbeyondsaidKwameNebamanageroftourismserviceswithITIatacommunitymeetinginFortSmithonOct.28.Hesaidthenewplanwillbuildonthesuccessfulfounda-tionsoftheTourism2010and2015plans.Increasinginvestmentsintotheindustryhavemadeitexponentiallystrongerovertime.Afterinjectinganadditional1.2millionintheindustrylastyearaccord-ingtoastatementmadebyITIMinisterDavidRamsayintheLegislativeAssemblyonOct.28visitorspendingintheterritoryroseby24percentto132.5millionoverthe2013-14scalyearupfrom106.7milliontheyearbefore.Assuchtourismaccountsforthelargestrenewableeconomicresourceintheterritory.AccordingtoRamsaythebiggesttourismdollarscomefromtravelerslookingtoviewthestunningaurorasoftheNorthandbusinesspeoplelookingtostrikedealsintheterritory.Visitorsinthosetwocategoriesgrewoverthelastveyearsby38and47percentrespectively.CommunitiesfacingsimilarchallengesOneoftheunderlyinggoalsforTourism2020istakingtourismoutofthecapitalandencouragingvisitorstoexplorecommunitiesinvari-ousregions.Whentheresearchersvis-itedFortSmiththeysaidthetownsdrawswereobviousStunningaurorasandacer-tieddarkskypreservethevastexpanseofWoodBuffaloNationalParkwithitsendan-geredwhoopingcranesandroamingbisontherushingrapidsthatlineupalongtheSlaveRiverandthewelcom-ingNorthernLifeMuseumthatmakestraditionalac-tivitiesfromlocalAboriginalculturesaccessibletoallwereallidentiedasthecommu-nitysstrongpoints.Butthenumerouschal-lengesfacedbythelocaltour-ismindustryarethesameacrosstheNorthwestTerri-toriesNebasaid.Theobstaclesidenti-fiedwerecyclicalAlackofeducationopportuni-tiesinbusinessandtour-ismaswellascomplexbureaucraticapplicationsystemsfortourismoper-atorlicencesmeansthatevenwhenorganizationslikeParksCanadaandthemuseumcreatevisitorpro-grammingthereisalackofguidesoroutfittersavail-abletocarryoutactivities.Becauseofthislackofhumancapitalitsdiffi-culttoproperlymarkettheprogramsthatdoexistNebasaid.Ontopofthismethodsoftransportationthrough-outthevastregionscanbeexpensivecreatingbarriersfortouristswantingtostopatsomeofthemoreisolatedcommunities.Attheendofthedayat-tendeesatthemeetingagreedthatongoingimprovementinthetourismindustrymeansinvestinginthecommunitiessothepeoplethatlivetherecansharethewonderfulas-pectsoftheirday-to-dayliveswithvisitors.Focusitatthecommu-nity-basedgrassrootslevelsaidRobKentsuperinten-dentforthesouthwestNWTFieldUnitatParksCanada.Wedontcarehowwegetthesuccessesaslongaswegetsuccesses.Weknowtheproductsarehere.ITIishopingtohavetheTourism2020strategycom-pletedforearly2015astheywrapuptheTourism2015initiative.TogiveinputforTourism2020filloutasurveyathttpswww.surveymon-key.comsTOURISM2020beforeNov.14.WiththeTourism2020strategyregionaltourismorganizationsandmembersofITIhopetogettouriststotakeinsightsinthecommunitiesoutsideofYellowknifelikeWoodBuffaloNationalParksdarkskypreservelocatedontheoutskirtsofFortSmith.PhotoBillBraden