Tourism in Inuvik is more than just generating revenue SA国际影视传媒� itSA国际影视传媒檚 about telling InuvikSA国际影视传媒檚 story.

ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 the core philosophy behind InuvikSA国际影视传媒檚 new Tourism Marketing Strategy, which was unveiled Nov. 5 online during a Tourism Stakeholders Meeting.

SA国际影视传媒淭he Western Arctic has been alive with people, culture, land and lore for millennia and now weSA国际影视传媒檙e inviting you to follow our footsteps and to create your own adventure,SA国际影视传媒� said tourism director Jackie Challis. SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e been here and weSA国际影视传媒檇 be happy to show you the way and now itSA国际影视传媒檚 time for you to create your own story.

SA国际影视传媒淭hat, when we talk about tourism branding, is where we want to go.SA国际影视传媒�

The strategy is built on three pillars SA国际影视传媒� attracting the right visitor, strengthening market practices and advocating for change. It draws from a vision of a future Inuvik SA国际影视传媒渃o-created by both the stakeholders and community members.SA国际影视传媒� Underlying the strategy is a mission to grow the economy with tourism and development walking hand-in-hand, highlighting the unique cultures of the area while nurturing the environment.

To accomplish this, the strategy lists off five main objectives building on the communitySA国际影视传媒檚 inherent strengths. First, expanding the townSA国际影视传媒檚 existing festivals to build on the community feeling that drives them. It seeks to attract SA国际影视传媒渇ree, independent travellersSA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒� people focused on hunting, fishing, hiking and other outdoor activities.

Showcasing Inuvialuit and GwichSA国际影视传媒檌n arts and sports to make Inuvik a top destination for tourists seeking to learn more about Indigenous cultures in the Arctic is a third objective.

Utilizing the Midnight Sun Complex as a centre for conventions is part of the fourth objective, which seeks to turn the town into the preferred destination for such meetings. Lastly, the strategy highlights expanding on the scientific research being done in the Beaufort Delta to grow the communitySA国际影视传媒檚 profile at large.

Challis said a lot of tourism strategies tend to look at environmental stewardship as an afterthought, but InuvikSA国际影视传媒檚 built it right into the core of the strategy.

SA国际影视传媒淚t speaks to the appreciation of whose land we live on understanding the knowledge and the values of the people here,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e want to be able to build and tell our own story from our own people and then we want to share that. We want people to be inspired and we want people to be excited.SA国际影视传媒�

With that in mind, Challis said the town would oriented itself to attract visitors who are mindful of environmental sustainability, seek to learn from the people they meet and are respectful of the places they visit.

Two years in the making, the strategy was technically finished and ready to launch in April last year SA国际影视传媒� however, the Covid-19 pandemic effectively shut down tourism for the year and has kept it to a minimum ever since. With the strategy in place, Challis said the next step was for the town to begin reaching out to the world to be on top of mind when travel becomes more commonplace.

SA国际影视传媒淣ow we need to bring the story to life,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭his is where I want us to work on is what are our priorities should be, how do we want to position ourselves. who should we be going after, what kinds of campaigns do we want to have? This is the kind of work that weSA国际影视传媒檒l be working on over the next six months to a year.SA国际影视传媒�

Other members of the stakeholder meeting praised the plan, with NWT marketing project coordinator Lorraine Brown saying it gave her goosebumps at least twice.

Challis deflected praise towards her team, consisting of marketing and communications coordinator Hannah Prestage and special projects and events coordinator Luisa Ospina Suarez.

SA国际影视传媒淟uisa and Hannah do all the work,SA国际影视传媒� said Challis. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 just the talking head.SA国际影视传媒�