Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 16/00) - There's 97 million of them, they love wilderness and adventure and they travel more than anyone else.

So why aren't there more German-speaking people coming to the Northwest Territories?

That question was central to the territorial government's very limited involvement in Expo 2000, on until Oct. 31 in Hannover, Germany.

"(German) tour operators don't know about the NWT," said director of parks and tourism Robin Reilly.

Despite the lack of interest by operators, the number of German-speaking summer tourists (from Germany, Austria and Switzerland) is growing at a time when the number of American and Canadian visitors to the NWT are dropping.

But Reilly said he believes that is a spin-off effect of the much higher increases in German tourists visiting the Yukon and Alaska. Most Germans touring the North do so by motorhome.

The majority who start out in Whitehorse head west on the Alaska Highway to Anchorage. Others travel the Dempster. Relatively few take the risk of crossing the border into the NWT.

"At the moment you can't go to the NWT with one of their vehicles," said Reilly. "Their insurance won't cover it."

That's one of a number of problems that need to be solved if the NWT is to increase its share in the German tourism market.

Another is the perception that travel in Canada is as expensive as travel in the U.S.

"They have a little interest in fishing but absolutely no interest in hunting," said Reilly. The effects of anti-fur campaigns are still strong in the minds of Europeans.

Echoing a call often made by Bill Tait, owner and operator of the highly successful Japanese tourist operation Raven Tours, Reilly said the NWT needs to develop more tourism "products," if it hopes to attract German tour wholesalers.

"In the NWT we tend to want to market the thing and if a whole bunch of people arrive we'll figure out something for them to do."

Under German law, tourism operators are legally liable for any difficulties or injuries their clients might suffer while on a trip.

"So they're more sensitive about knowing who they're dealing with, if they're reliable," said Reilly.

Reilly and tourism operator Dennis Zimmerman were the only NWT representatives at the international event.

One reason for small territorial representation was cost. For the right to be part of the Canadian pavilion territorial governments were expected to pay $250,000 and provinces $1 million. That did not include displays or display space. Alberta was the only province or territory to buy into the pavilion.

Territorial belt-tightening -- the GNWT spends $1 million annually on tourism marketing and the Yukon $5 million -- means the number of German tourists visiting the North will not likely be increasing any time soon.

As it is, Reilly said parks and tourism will be doing what it can to attract more German-speaking tourists arriving in the Yukon. It will also be looking for opportunities to get coverage by German media to raise awareness of the NWT.