Nunavut tourism projects get share of $1.3M from federal government
Iqaluit’s visitor centre, Travel Nunavut and Arctic Bay Adventures receive funding to “attract Canadians and visitors”
Renovations and repairs to Iqaluit’s Unikkaarvik Visitor’s Centre is one of four tourism-related projects in Nunavut that CanNor recently announced it will help fund. (Photo by Mosha Folger)
Nunavut tourism groups will get a boost of $1.3 million from the federal government for renovations and other initiatives.
The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency announced the funding on June 29 in a news release. The money is meant to renovate tourism infrastructure, promote the North and establish new tourism destinations, the agency said in the release.
“By helping tourism operators expand capacity, we are supporting the people, businesses and experiences that make the territories must-see destinations,” Rebecca Chartrand, minister responsible for CanNor, said in the release.
The Government of Nunavut will get $825,000, doubling its budget for renovations and repairs to the Unikkaarvik Visitor Centre in Iqaluit and the Iqaluit Centennial Library.
Travel Nunavut is set to receive $200,000 from CanNor and $60,000 from the GN to produce short videos that tell the stories of tourism operators, CanNor said in the release.
The money that Arctic Bay Adventures, a tour guide company in Arctic Bay, receives will go to staff training, storage, new equipment and website design. These initiatives will get up to $249,033 from CanNor to supplement the $469,505 from the Government of Nunavut.
The company will also receive up to $29,722 to create a business plan to expand and create local jobs.
Nunavut will never have a thriving tourism industry until the Government does a better job subsidizing air and hotel travel for tourists. Nobody wants to pay $3000 to fly up to Cape Dorset and sit in an Inns North all day. Start by investing in the communities: make tourist destinations accessible, make tourist operators reliable and beautify the communities so that tourists actually want to take their cameras out. Cruise ship passengers and business travelers are not bona-fide tourists.
Build a tourist destination like upper canada village.
Old skills and traditions demonstrated by elders in a traditional setting…hire elders and locals of all ages to participate.
https://www.uppercanadavillage.com/
Or an ice hotel….also good for tourism and local hiring