Madam Chair, committee members, thank you for your consideration today of Bill 11, the Tourism Act for the Northwest Territories.
For several years, the Northwest Territories' tourism industry, including its tour operators and associations, have expressed a desire to see changes made to the existing Travel and Tourism Act. Specifically, their requests for change have reflected two main themes: create a more streamlined and user-friendly licensing system; and protect the NWT's tourism industry experience.
In its efforts to address these issues, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment and the Department of
Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development before it, embarked on a fairly lengthy consultation process.
It was almost immediately evident that the changes and revisions being requested were extensive. For that reason, I am presenting to you today a new Tourism Act for the Northwest Territories; one that reflects the input of, and is strongly supported by, tourism licence holders, tourism associations, aboriginal organizations, other Government of the Northwest Territories departments, and the general public across the Northwest Territories.
One of the most important changes incorporated in the new act will be a simplified process of obtaining a tourism licence in the NWT. The existing tourism establishment licence and travel and tourism outfitter licence will be replaced with a single tourism operator licence.
Only operators who are running guided commercial tourism activities will be required to have this licence. Hotels and business establishments, for example, that do not provide guided tours, will no longer be required to have a TOL.
In the case where a licensed activity does not change, this act will allow for licences to be renewed automatically, providing added stability and long-term certainty for tourism operators and their clients, while further reducing administrative burdens.
Meanwhile we must also protect our territory's tourism product. The quality of a visitor's experience in the NWT depends on their experience of the territory's wilderness.
Changes included in this act will allow us to better govern operations in areas that have cultural or spiritual significance or are ecologically sensitive, through the creation of tourism special management areas.
Licence endorsements will be used to limit the number of tourism operators that may conduct tourism activities in any particular area or restrict or prohibit certain tourism activities by all operators in a certain area.
The actions of a select few tourism operators can easily damage the reputation of the industry as a whole. This act also includes stronger penalties for non-compliance, providing a strong deterrent to those who would break the rules.
Madam Chair, the new act also sets out terms for consultation before new licences are awarded or amendments to existing licences are approved.
These are the types of changes that the tourism industry collectively have indicated are important to them. I'm hopeful that we can see this legislation enacted during this session of our Legislative Assembly and that we can begin our work to bring the new Tourism Act into force by April 1st, 2007.
Our next steps will be to consult with our industry partners, aboriginal organizations and other stakeholders, on regulations for the new act. These consultations will further ensure that the industry maintains a strong voice to speak on matters affecting them.
I would like to thank the Standing Committee on Governance and Economic Development for its careful review of Bill 11, and I'm pleased now to answer any questions this committee may have. Thank you, Madam Chair.