Worldwide competition for tourist dollars is fierce. With shrinking resources, governments have to assess where they are to invest their money and human resources to obtain the best results. The central issue is the appropriate role for tourism. There has been a great deal of discussion about whether, in times of fiscal restraint, we should be spending money in the area of tourism and parks.

Is tourism an economic development activity? If it is, then we should have cost-benefit analyses that demonstrate that tourism is effective in developing the economy of the territories. This would encourage Members of the Legislative Assembly to support tourism and approve being spent in that area. If the aim of tourism and parks is to provide recreational opportunities for citizens of the Northwest Territories, then the issue is somewhat different, and the way decisions about expenditures are made will also be different.

Therefore, our committee makes the following recommendation.