Mr. Speaker, tourism is big business in the Northwest Territories. Last year more than 100,000 visitors travelled to the NWT, and spending also reached an all-time high at $200 million. The results are expected to be even higher for this past year. It's unsurprising that many entrepreneurs are building businesses based on the success of our tourism market. Unfortunately, not all these individuals are playing by the same rules.
Mr. Speaker, I have heard several complaints from licensed tourism operators in Kam Lake who raise serious concerns around illegal outfits exploiting tourism opportunities in the NWT. More light has been shed on these illegal businesses in recent days with reporting from the CBC supported by internal government documents obtained through access to information requests.
What these complaints and documents reveal is a business environment with little to no consequences for illegal tourism operators, with fly-in, fly-out operations exploiting a lack of readiness on the part of this government to ensure that all operators are held to the same standard.
Mr. Speaker, under the law, an operator must have a licence issued by the GNWT. An unlicensed operator is not obliged to follow safety rules nor have proper insurance for their activities, putting tourists at risk and legal operators who pay these costs at a disadvantage.
Internal documents reveal that this government is struggling to keep up. An official wrote, "There are so many operators lately, it's hard to keep track of them all." Compare this to public concerns from legal, northern-owned and operated businesses. To quote one of these operators, "These guys are coming in and doing what they want. They're cutting corners."
Mr. Speaker, a licensed operator must pay for proper insurance and renew their licence every year. In addition to these expenses, it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars more for insurance. Illegal operators claim none of these costs, and there is ample evidence that they're not being held to account to the laws of the NWT by its own government.
Since 2013, there have only been nine investigations into illegal tourism operators, with two charges being brought forward under the act, and only a single fine issued, along with six compliance orders that do not level criminal penalties against these illegal businesses.
Despite the concerns raised by northern tourism operators who are paying their dues and operating within the letter of the law with legal licences, the GNWT says this is not a systemic problem. Departmental officials have said, "We will address it as we find out about it," and, "we're doing the best with the resources we have." Perhaps that's because they do not have the adequate resources to operate.
Mr. Speaker, this is a serious issue, and I will have questions for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment later today to see what he has done to address the issue of illegal tourism operators in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.