Nunavut tourist industry needs outside investment

It was no surprise to read your article concerning the neglected tourism industry (Nov. 28).

Certainly, those so-called operators will need the full support of Nunavut Tourism if they are serious about moving ahead. But let’s look at some realities.

* Considerable capital from outside sources will be required to enable us to build real hotels, because we currently have inadequate accomodations across the territory. Some of our current accomodations are substandard in every way and are unworthy of being called hotels. So how is this capital attracted and who does what to bring it into Nunavut?
* We don’t have enough world-class tourism products anywhere in Nunavut to justify even one plane-load of wealthy travellers. Before a marketing campaign is launched, the industry will need to develop many more attractive and well-planned tourism products. It will also be necessary to develop the human resources that will be required. Arctic College can’t or won’t train nurses and other essential workers, so is it going to be able to assist the tourism sector?
* Extraordinarily high living expenses, poor capacity, lack of interest among the public, crippling transportation costs, and unrealistic expectations on the part of some operators are all part of our tourism environment. There is no way of avoiding this reality – even with a slick, costly marketing campaign. With a growing financial deficit, is the GN really going to just hand over the dollars?
* Certainly, the tourism sector is right to expect serious support from the GN, but at the same time, the GN should have a clear and realistic expectation for the tourism sector.
* Since the Nunavut territory is based on ethnic identification and the desire to be isolated from the rest of the planet and located on the fringes of the developed world, Nunavut and its citizens are largely isolated from the global community. This contributes to the fact many Nunavummiut do not appreciate the economic advantages that the industry can produce, let alone the need for them to actually participate to make the process work.

W. G. Fotheringham
Iqaluit