Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 14/02) - A group of Northern tourism operators have a deeper understanding of why Germans want to spend tourism dollars here.

First off, Germans are obsessed with aboriginal culture.

"There are interested in the history, the mystique of what it's all about," said NWT Tourism's marketing director David Grindlay, who was part of a group of ten who recently travelled to Germany to promote Northern tourism.

German impressions of aboriginal culture come mainly from books that portray First Nations as noble savages.

"By and large they have a very fanciful idea of what Canada is, in terms of aboriginal people," said Grindlay. "They have this thought that they can come to the wilds of Canada and do whatever they want, be free and whatever."

But Grindlay said once these stereotypes are shaken, Germans are still interested.

"Once they realize that this whole world really isn't based on some of the books they've read and start taking a hard look at the product that is available -- the landscape and the people -- they are pretty happy with it."

Germans also have an interest in the great outdoors.

"The Northwest Territories has the image that Canada likes to portray internationally," said Grindlay. "Big, clean, friendly, lots of interesting landscapes and wildlife to see. So we're pretty confident the German market will continue to grow for the NWT."

During the week-long trip, operators from Fort Simpson to Inuvik gave presentations in three German cities -- Munich, Frankfurt and Duesseldorf.

German buyers put together packaged trips and sell the trips through retail agencies.

Currently about five companies in Germany offer Northern packages. But because of the trip eight to 10 additional German buyers will start carrying NWT product. This means products offered by Northern tour operators will start popping up in brochures throughout Germany.

Airlines are also helping bring German dollars to Canada. Fort Simpson is seeing more Germans arriving by way of Whitehorse. And Grindlay said NWT tourism is working with airlines who fly from Frankfurt to Whitehorse to entice tourists to take a detour into Fort Simpson or Yellowknife.

Grindlay and sales agent Rolf Weinmann met with the curator of the Indian Museum in Zurich who is putting together a culture and arts tour for the museum's patrons next year.

The group will utilize Northern tour operators in their whirlwind tour to Iqaluit, Cape Dorset, Panniqtuuq, Yellowknife and Fort Simpson. They'll end up in Inuvik for the Northern Arts Festival.

Although NWT tourism officials make trips to Europe and Japan to promote the North, this was the first time a group of tourism operators went together. The trip cost each operator $3,000 and NWT tourism covered the remaining costs -- about $20,000.

Grindlay considers the trip a great success.

"We will do it again," he said. "It's really positive. There's more to our economic development than diamonds, gas and oil."

"Operators say to themselves, 'Why would Japanese or Germans want to come here?' Well, if you go ... you'll understand their fascination for the wilderness right outside their front door. You travel to Europe and you're cheek to jowl with people all the time. In Asia, it's even worse. You simply can't get away from people."

Camellia Gray, manager of Arctic Nature Tours in Inuvik, said the trip helped her understand how to sell products more effectively to the German market.

For instance, she discovered Germans prefer to travel North during the winter because they to travel on the ice road and take part in traditional winter activities. They also said they were wildly interested in how aboriginal groups are preserving their culture.

They're also into camping in a big way.

"That's why there's so much interest in the NWT," said Gray.

"It's not only the size but how much environment and resources are out there."

"We noticed how they really do like camping. They were really pleased to see what we offer."