Mr. Speaker, we have all heard about the Northern Frontier Visitors' Centre and its unfortunate necessary closure for reasons of building safety. The assignment of space at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre will be an effective fix, albeit temporary, for providing crucial information to visitors to Yellowknife. The attention drawn by the closure of the visitors' centre shows how important tourism has become in the capital and across the territory. Between the territorial government and the city, the visitors' centre received almost $350,000 in funding each year from various pots. With tourism bringing in $90 million in direct spending to Yellowknife alone, we realize that is money well invested. With support from CanNor, the City of Yellowknife has recently implemented its Destination Marketing Strategy that will focus resources and attention on aggressively marketing the capital city as a tourist destination.

Destination marketing will be able to coordinate all aspects of marketing the city and its facilities and services, drawing on all the city's resources and assets to attract visitors. Estimates are that increasing tourist traffic by just 10 per cent could mean as much as $10 million to the city. The extra funding the city received for destination marketing won't last forever, Mr. Speaker. The City of Yellowknife has taken the tourism ball and is running with it, and this government should be working in support of our communities. How can we do that? Yellowknife and all NWT municipalities legislated under the CTV Act have asked the government to bring forward enabling legislation to allow them to institute a hotel levy. This will provide eligible municipalities with resources to grow and develop their local tourism economies as they see fit.

Here in the capital, it could help create infrastructure, potentially a project like a conference centre, which could help build momentum towards a more robust, active, healthy downtown core. This legislation is supported by the city, the NWT Association of Communities, the local hotel association, and NWT Tourism. Mr. Speaker, our communities want to develop their own tourism potential. Tourism has become an important new part of a broader, diversified NWT economy. Yellowknife's window for destination marketing is now open, but it won't last forever. We should be working in support of our communities, making it possible for them to leverage resources to invest in their own economic futures. Mr. Speaker, let's enable our capital city to do just that. Later, I will have questions for the appropriate Minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.