SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
German tourists are looking for more options in Northern Canada and that demand brought B.C.-based Fraserway RV to Yellowknife, looking for it's newest turnaround station.
Representatives of Yellowknife businesses and the GNWT attended a presentation by Kimo Linders, general manager for Fraserway RVs, explaining a Yellowknife RV turnaround location pilot project set to run this summer. - Lyndsay Herman/NNSL photo
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"(European) tourists love Canada," said Kimo Linders, general manager for Fraserway RV. "Canada has a strong reputation in Europe."
Linders held an information session at the Northern Frontier Visitors Centre on Monday evening detailing a pilot project Fraserway RV intends to run in Yellowknife this coming summer.
Representatives from both the GNWT and Yellowknife businesses attended.
The pilot project would have five truck camper recreational vehicles allocated for the travel route between Yellowknife, Whitehorse and Calgary, with Yellowknife being a turnaround location in the centre.
Fraserway RVs is looking for a Yellowknife business or a partnership between more than one business to facilitate the station, with support from the Fraserway.
Tourists who sign up for the package will complete one leg of the trip over approximately three weeks. Before embarking on their RV adventure, they will have selected from one of four travel options, such as Calgary to Yellowknife or Yellowknife to Whitehorse, or vice versa. They will begin their journey home from whichever of the three cities they chose to return the RV at.
Each vehicle will have approximately three occupants, which means after the expected 20 trips, about 60 German visitors, will have passed through Yellowknife this summer.
Linders said the Whitehorse location has about 100 recreational vehicles and Fraserway RV has approximately 1,100 units overall.
Tourism and parks director Richard Zeiba said the turnaround location would be key to penetrating German, Austrian and Swiss tourism markets and could go a long way toward securing regular direct flights through such airlines as Switzerland-based Edelweiss Air in the city.
Canusa, a German tour operator, has already sold six of the 20 trips during travel fairs, without having officially launched the package's full advertising campaign.
Linders said the attraction for many tourists is the beautiful "wild, but tamed wild," Northern Canada is known for, as well as the chance to visit locations of some of their favourite television series.
If the program is successful, Fraserway is keen to re-evaluate the setup for future years, Linders told the audience during the presentation.
He said a Fraserway dealership in Yellowknife is a possibility, but would require between 50 and 100 units for it to be sustainable and the company is currently leaning toward developing a local partnership.
Interested businesses have until March 15 to submit a quote application.
