Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 07/01) - Tourism in Yellowknife took a big leap yesterday. It is now being promoted as part of a Northern capital cities tour.

Yellowknife is now being promoted as part of a Northern capital cities tour. - NNSL file photo

AAT-Rainbow Tours, the marketing arm of Rainbow Tours based in Whitehorse, Yukon, and Alaska Tours, based in Anchorage, Alaska, released their Northern tourism package to 14 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, this week.

The package includes photos and descriptions of Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories as part of a Northern capital cities tour -- a brand new package offered by an established tourism operator as part of an expansion into Canada's central and eastern arctic.

David Howe, owner of the Alaska- and Yukon-based companies, said he's wanted to expand across the Rocky Mountains for the last 13 years, but scattered air-links proved a daunting and expensive obstacle.

"But like any dream, you hang on to it," said Howe from his office in Anchorage.

The dream came true on Aug. 17, as Howe hooked up with the City of Yellowknife and the City of Iqaluit to offer a pan-territorial tour package.

"I was pleased with what I saw in the NWT," said Howe.

"Yellowknife's infrastructure really works and the standard of accommodation is good," he said.

First Air deal

Howe said a deal with First Air made the package feasible. Before, the tourism company had to deal with smaller airlines which increased costs.

First Air offers excursion-type rates to overseas customers and Whitehorse has direct flights landing from Switzerland and Germany.

Howe called Yellowknife the "radiating point" for the NWT's side of the tour.

Yellowknife is a good base point to all parts of the territory included in the package, said Howe, who noted Yellowknife itself features it's own attractions.

The package is offered exclusively to tourists on the other side of the globe.

Howe's company brings in a steady stream of tourists from Germany and Switzerland but his marketing package will hit places like India, Israel, Italy and France.

Tours launched next spring

The tours begin next May and will run until September. Howe couldn't give specifics on pricing, but said a four-day stay at Nahanni National Park with one airplane trip through the park would cost around $1,000 Canadian.

The package, called, a Journey North of 60 --Canada's Northern Capitals Tour, allows tourists to engineer their trip through the North.

Economic Development officer with the City of Yellowknife, Peter Neugebauer, a key player in the process, said inclusion in Howe's tourism package could open opportunities for Yellowknife. He hopes to spearhead a capital cities' tour of Canadian Capitals.

Howe said he met some obstacles with some Northern tourism people in trying to set up his package.

Howe's operation depends on local tour operators.

"We didn't get the kind of co-operation we'd get in the Yukon or Alaska," he said. "There were many frustrating days."

The territory has untapped tourism resources but tour companies go where the infrastructure is, said Howe.