Skip to content

Tourism numbers on the rise in NWT

Tourism numbers reached record heights in the NWT in 2016-2017.

For the first time, visitor spending surpassed the $200 million mark and more than 100,000 visitors travelled to the NWT.

The results bode well for the overall goal of Tourism 2020, the GNWT’s five-year strategy for tourism development, which seeks to increase the value of the NWT tourism industry to $207 million annually by 2021.

Other highlights released by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment on Sept. 25 include a 23 per cent increase last season in the aurora viewing sector, which contributed close to $50 million to the economy.

In 2015-2016, visitors spent $167.1 million in the NWT. In 2016/2017, visitors spent $201.4 million, an increase of 21 per cent.

In 2015-2016, 93,910 visitors travelled to the NWT. In 2016/2017, there were 108,480 visitors, an increase of 16 per cent.