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Yellowknifers flock to visitors' centre Television and advertising publicity working, says fishing operator
Lyndsay Herman
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, July 17, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Northern Frontier Visitors Centre had 1,000 more people walk through its doors in June this year than in the previous year, according to statistics kept at the centre and airport gift shop, although that number may be higher due to more local residents using the facility.
Greg Rickford, parliamentary secretary to the minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), was in Yellowknife in January to announce federal investments for five community infrastructure projects in the NWT, including renovations to the Northern Frontier Visitors Centre in Yellowknife. Here, Carol Van Tighem shows Rickford a virtual demonstration of the Aurora Borealis at the visitors' centre just after the funding was announced. - NNSL file photo |
"We've been really busy," said Elijah Forget, the centre's senior tourism counsellor. "We are seeing a lot more local residents than in the past."
The centre recorded 1,653 visitors in the month of June, and almost 11,000 since January.
The numbers don't represent new visitors, but rather the number of times any person enters the building to take a look at exhibits, attend an event, buy souvenirs, or ask staff about Yellowknife attractions.
An increase in the visits from Yellowknife residents is the largest contributor to the increase in overall visits to the centre, said Forget and Tracy Therrien, the centre's general manager.
In addition to being one of the few places in town where fishing licences can be purchased, Yellowknifers are taking advantage of the centre's office and event space rentals, Forget said.
This year, the centre has hosted an outdoor wedding reception, a memorial, a farewell employment party, a Canadian Bar Association event, and an event for the NWT Business Development and Investment Corp., among others.
Visitors from outside Yellowknife increased by 10 per cent in June 2013 than the same month in 2012.
The centre's recently introduced free bike rental program has done very well, particularly with business travellers looking for a convenient and entertaining way to get around town, said Therrien.
She also said many people are coming back from a trip or activity they booked through the centre to give rave reviews of the experience.
"Visitors are coming in two or three times to share their success (with our operators). They're also coming back to shop," she said.
Greg Roberston, owner of the guided fishing tour company Bluefish Services, said his customers are usually split in half between Yellowknifers and visitors from out of town.
However, this year he's seen a noticeable increase in the number of bookings from people outside of Yellowknife, and more bookings for longer trips.
"A lot of people are coming up for three days and usually I just do day trips and things like that," said Robertson. "I've had people wanting to go out a couple of days in a row. It's quite different from what I usually have."
He said he gets the impression that the publicity of Yellowknife in the south, particularly through television shows with NWT content, have been putting the city on the map.
This year, the GNWT approved an additional $600,000 for tourism marketing through NWT Tourism, bringing the division's total budget to $3.2 million.
The Northern Frontier Visitors Centre, which is not affiliated with NWT Tourism, relies on the funds from event bookings, office rentals, and external funding to make ends meet.
This year, the centre received funding from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) and the GNWT to make cosmetic and much needed functional improvements to the centre.
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