Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 23/98) - Despite cuts in western NWT tourism funding, the number of visitors has remained stable, according to NWT Arctic Tourism, the organization set up in May 1996, to market the western NWT.

Eric Yaxley, NWT Arctic Tourism managing director, says the latest numbers point to an organization which has become much more efficient.

The western NWT gets about 32,000 tourists with a marketing budget of $540,000. In 1994, the same number of visitors came to the western NWT but the budget was $1.4 million. Put another way, this shows a doubling of cost-to-benefit ratio.

"This clearly points to increased efficiencies achieved by the association," said MLA Jake Ootes.

An exit survey done over the summer of '98 is expected to shed more light on visitor numbers and movement. Data from that survey is due soon.

"There is no doubt there is a direct relationship between the number of visitors coming here and spending on marketing," he said.

"Compared with other jurisdictions such as Yukon or Alberta, the NWT tourism sector still has tremendous growth potential, providing marketing dollars are spent on that initiative." Ootes made the comments earlier this month in the legislature.

In '99, the association will receive increased funding. The budget will go to $920,000 from $820,000, Yaxley said.

"Over the past year, we have become more established," he said.

As the North enters the year 2000, Yaxley says ideally tourism funding will be at $1.5 million ($1.2 million for marketing and the remainder in core funding).

Yaxley also said once the NWT officially divides, the new western NWT government should direct more attention at the tourism sector. About 90 per cent of all visitors to the entire NWT are destined for the Western Arctic.

Tourism is the third highest contributor to the Western Arctic's gross domestic product generating about $40 million. NWT Arctic Tourism has about 150 members.

Yet compared to Yukon, spending is much lower.

Yaxley said the Yukon spends between $4 and $6 million on tourism and has about 30 people working in tourism compared to a handful at NWT Arctic Tourism.

On another funding note, Yaxley said the federal government has increased national tourism funding to $65 million from $15 million in '94. That promotes Canada as a destination.

Over '98, NWT Arctic Tourism has directed its efforts at various initiatives. Among them is a program to encourage small operators to get e-mail and Internet access. With e-mail, operators can get client inquiries and bookings through NWT Arctic Tourism's Web site.

Another initiative, the 1999 Explorers Guide -- about 200,000 will be published -- is on schedule. And the 1998 Hunting and Fishing Guide will be updated.

Recently, the NWT, Yukon and Nunavut tourism organizations agreed to a initiative to promote the entire Arctic.

In the western NWT, the great outdoors is the product.

The western NWT offers a wealth of outdoor activities from hunting and hiking to fishing and canoeing.

Visitors can travel by boat out to see saw-tooth cliffs soar 180 metres from the surface of Great Slave Lake's East Arm, or take the Norweta down the Mackenzie River, North America's second longest river, from Great Slave Lake to Inuvik. When it comes to things to do in the new NWT, the possibilities are as big as the new NWT is.

When it comes to parks and protected areas, there's Wood Buffalo National Park, the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary, Nahanni National Park and the Canol Heritage Trail.