Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The previous Member's statement sounds familiar to some degree. Mr. Speaker, tourism is big business in the North. The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has released a strategy document, Tourism 2020, full of information and plans and pointing to the need for an implementation plan.
This is much needed and will help guide investment and work in the tourism industry. I do feel that the implementation plan should set some priorities, particularly on growth and development of this sector, in order for some of the goals and the plan to be realized.
Growth in the interest from travel trade and tour operators is a vital piece of this puzzle. The GNWT must take the initiative in changing the landscape for businesses. We should make it smoother and easier for owner/operators to enter this sector and stay competitive. The current operators are working hard turning sweat equity into solid returns. That's paving the way for us to grow this sector, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I say we must make that a priority area for implementation. Tourism operators don't just need support to develop product and experiences. They also need a trained workforce and guidelines to ensure quality. We need interdepartmental commitment and partnering to bridge the gap for youth entering the workforce, and we need to offer the NorthernMost Host Program training to younger age groups. We should encourage youth to seek work experience in this sector and support them when they want to pursue it as a career option. One way to do this would be to find our Canadian regional partners for post-secondary training and education in the tourism sector and develop a network now of alumni to mentor returning students. This means going beyond the standard strategy and working across departments to make this a priority.
I feel strongly that marketing is an important component of the plan. I applaud ITI for its efforts to build a recognized brand and a successful destination marketing campaign. I think, if we are able to align our efforts with Destination Canada, we can expand our market even further. This is an easy win and will pay off in the higher tourist volumes we are looking for.
Mr. Speaker, great work has been done. We have a strategy. I encourage the Minister to consider how we are aligning with national efforts in this sector and build the partnerships needed to get some traction and reach some of the targets from the strategy. Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.