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NORTH VANCOUVER ISLAND – Businesses, First Nations, local government and industry experts gathered earlier this month for the North Island Tourism Forum 2016 to explore key ideas, opportunities and challenges facing the tourism sector on the North Island.
“Communities across the North Island are looking to the future, and the future is diversified,” says Phil Kent, mayor, City of Duncan and chair, Island Coastal Economic Trust. “The region has an economic history tied to a few industries, and this planning session will create a roadmap to grow existing businesses and attract visitors and newcomers who will support the next phase of community revitalization and economic diversification.”
More than 75 delegates, including four First Nations communities, participated in the community to community forum to discuss the tourism sector on the North Island and devise an implementation plan to help businesses grow and diversify the regional economy of the Northern Vancouver Island.
This was an opportunity for business owners, tourism operators and local leaders to provide feedback on successes and challenges. This feedback will be used to formulate an implementation strategy to enhance economic development, attract investment and support the growth of businesses in the area.
The forum was facilitated by the Regional District of Mount Waddington to:
- Identify North Island Tourism priorities.
- Work toward extending the tourist season and length of stay.
- Share ideas and make contact with tourism industry stakeholders.
- Listen to guest luncheon speaker Keith Henry, CEO of Aboriginal Tourism Canada.
- Learn about the growing importance of Aboriginal Tourism.
The Regional Disrict will now collate the data into a work plan, and then establish a steering committee to guide the implementation phase of the priorities identified by North Island delegates.
In July 2015, the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour announced $30,000 in funding for the Village of Port Alice and the North Island Region to support the creation of an economic development and implementation strategy for Port Alice and the Regional District of Mount Waddington (North Island region). The Island Coastal Economic Trust matched that investment with an additional $30,000 in funding.
