A one-day tourism summit near Flin Flon was held Sept. 6 to identify opportunities to grow the industry in Northern Manitoba.
The summit was hosted by Travel Manitoba and Tourism North at Camp Whitney on Lake Athapap and was intended to solicit input on the development of a northern tourism strategy and identify potential partnerships and collaborations.
“This will be an important planning session aimed at developing a clear strategy for growth in tourism in Northern Manitoba,” said Colin Ferguson, president and CEO of Travel Manitoba. “It will build on the government’s increased tourism investments to help regional partners promote the north as a destination for travellers around the world.”
“Tourism North is pleased to be co-hosting this event that is an opportunity for northern operators and leaders to form strategies for marketing the province and enhancing tourism infrastructure,” said Charlene Kissick, co-ordinator of Tourism North, Northern Manitoba’s regional tourism association. “The north offers tremendous value to the Manitoba’s tourism landscape and we look forward increasing our role in the province’s tourism economy.”
The provincial government announced more grants for rural and northern tourism development projects and increased funding of $3.1 million for Travel Manitoba last week in Churchill.
“A robust tourism industry already exists in the northern areas of the province and this summit is designed to foster conversation with Northern Manitobans about further tourism and economic development opportunities,” said Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Cliff Cullen. “Tourism is a $1.6-billion dollar industry in Manitoba. I look forward to hearing the innovative ideas of community members as we work together to boost the north’s share of Manitoba’s tourism industry.”
