The NWT Tourism Marketing Plan - Towards Resilience
NWT Tourism Marketing Plan 2024/25
The NWT Tourism Marketing Plan is developed annually by the NWT Tourism Marketing Director. The process involved in developing the marketing plan is robust, and involves input from industry and stakeholders.
Executive Summary
The demand for what the NWT has to offer has increased as people are drawn to wide open spaces, wilderness and adventure. The tourism industry of the Northwest Territories is poised to leverage the increasing demand for the unique experiences offered.
In 2023 visitors who travelled to Canada were faced with an unprecedented summer. Wildfire swept many parts of the country in the worst summer on record. The extensive media coverage left an impression that much of Canada and the Northwest Territories was unsafe, and inaccessible due to wildfire damage, leaving lots of work for the industry to market the NWT as a great place to visit. As the fire subsided into the fall and toward winter, Northwest Territories Tourism encouraged travellers to visit the Spectacular Northwest Territories and to embark on an unforgettable journey, one that would also help NWT businesses recover from the economic impacts caused by evacuations due to this summer’s wildfires.
The tourism industry, and the people of the NWT, have endured much over the past few years and 2023 really tested the limits of the resilience residents have shown. But at the time of writing, the winter season has begun with people from all over the world coming to experience the Spectacular NWT for themselves. As we close the door on 2023 we celebrate and look to a new year where work continues, sharing our spectacular with potential visitors through marketing efforts.
The NWT Tourism marketing plan is a rolling three-year strategic approach, updated annually. The plan outlines marketing across channels, connecting with potential visitors wherever they engage - on and off line, using our media and content to share the spectacular brand, and building a desire to come and visit.
The marketing plan aligns with the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment Tourism 2025 Plan. In response to major trends impacting the tourism sector, such as reduced transport connectivity, labour and skills shortages, and a growing importance on domestic and nature-based travel, we have outlined several strategic priorities. These include targeting high-value guests, encouraging repeat visitation, growing the domestic and United States markets, reducing travel barriers, and creating more opportunities for tourism businesses to be successful.
Marketing efforts focus on direct-to-consumer, travel trade, and media channels. We will use content marketing across a variety of channels to engage with our target audiences and maintain an “always on” digital approach. We will also focus on building and maintaining relationships with key accounts and include familiarization tours in our trade and media programs.
Our goal is to connect our guests with epic Northern journeys and experiences, from the Midnight Sun to the dancing Northern Lights, from authentic Indigenous experiences to iconic adventure experiences. We will continue fostering and maintaining strategic partnerships to help us leverage our investments and support the growth of the tourism sector in the NWT. We invite you to connect with us, share your spectacular, and tell the world;
Something in the Spectacular Northwest Territories will change you.