Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, yes, it will be. I do not know if it will be to the extent the Member may want, but what I have seen does reflect the need to build up the regional capacity.

When we present our Northwest Territories Tourism Strategy, that will be done cooperatively between the department, the Tourism Association, and regional businesses and interests. The final strategy we have for the government to work by will definitely include building up regional capacity substantially.

Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, to understand the Minister correctly then, building up regional capacity will be dependent on some new revenues, which is where your hotel tax comes in as one of the sources. Is that the commitment I heard you make in the House? Thank you.

That question is more suited for a response from the Minister of Finance. Since you are here as the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, would you like to answer? Mr. Handley.

Mr. Chairman, in my discussions with the Minister of Finance, he has assured me that we will allocate new resources to building up regional capacity along with our marketing capability.

Some of the money, as I have said before, or as the Minister of Finance has said, will come from new revenues. I want to look at this whole area of tourism more carefully, particularly as we go through the exercise of going through our tourism strategy to move us closer to what we would ideally like to have to support this important sector of our economy. Thank you.

Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Another issue related to tourism comes under this area. It is a concern I have had raised to me. It is about marketing. The department tends to take the lead role in marketing, going to shows in southern Canada, the States, often from the regional level but with minimal, if any, contact or involvement of local businesses to market the North. The concern I have heard is that it would be much better if there was a way to involve tourism associations or chambers to send actual people who are in the business to work with the departmental people, so you get a rounded picture when you are marketing.

It is a concern I have heard consistently every year I have been an MLA. It is constantly brought up. I would like to ask the Minister if he sees a way to involve tourism operators in this process, more in terms of the actual marketing, not just leaving it to employees of the department, who have no real strong, vested interest other than they are paid to do that job as opposed to somebody whose life's blood may be put into the business they are trying to make viable. Thank you.

Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the department regularly supports tourism operators. I think it goes on a case-by-case basis. We support them in their efforts to market at various shows. I agree with the Member that having more people who are in the tourism business is beneficial, and it is something I would like to see us doing more of.

We do have a number of operators, though, and I take outfitters as being the best example, who do a lot of their own marketing. Our job is more one of facilitating the process with them.

So some sectors do this very actively, others do not. The chambers of commerce, local tourist associations, those I think we can do more to include them, as well.

Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Could the Minister just elaborate, at this point, off the top of his head, how we would envision being able to do more? I would like to be able to reflect these positive comments when I go back to my constituency. Thank you.

Mr. Handley.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think the first place we will start is with the development of a tourism strategy, and there we are committed to working very closely with operators and the various associations at the community and regional level.

Then, beyond that, we will continue and, as resources permit, enhance our support to them. Whether it is coordinating their efforts, hosting Northwest Territories events at various shows that they participate in and, in many cases, assisting operators or entertainers in the North to participate in the tourism ventures. Thank you.

Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One of the possible suggestions would be that these kind of events are planned well in advance, I would assume. The possibility of regional staff sitting down with the communities in their region, or the organizations in their region to try and map out where they intend to go so that there is a chance for input.

Often times, I know in Fort Smith, if you hear after the fact that people have gone, that there has been this event or that event that people have gone to, usually it is brought forward by a disgruntled business person.

I was just wondering if there is a possibility, at the regional level, to get proactive to try to identify where there is a role to play between business and the department so that you have this representative showing of our best efforts at these events? Thank you.

Mr. Handley.

Mr. Chairman, I think that is good advice, and we will continue to try to improve our support to industry in planning out its' marketing strategy for the year. We have some very successful events, Mr. Chairman. For example, the Rendezvous 2000 in Calgary last year was very well done. I was at the Sheep Hunters Show in Reno early this year and it was excellent in terms of the coordination and the cooperation between the department staff and the outfitters.

I think there are some good things that they are doing out there and it will just continue to improve. Thank you.

Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would just like to acknowledge that I agree with the Minister that the Meet the North Conference, albeit was some time ago, I thought was a very successful endeavour as well. It did bring all the players to the table, so that is the kind of prototype that I think people saw as being so successful and would like to see continued. Thank you.

Mr. Handley.

I appreciate the comment, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.

Thank you. I have Mr. Dent on the list, then Mr. Roland and Ms. Lee. Mr. Dent.

Mr. Handley.