While Canadian leaders talk Arctic security, this new network wants the tourism industry at the table
CBC
Members of the new Arctic Canada Tourism Network want to make sure their industry has a voice in conversations about the future of the Arctic.
The Tourism Industry Association of the Yukon, Northwest Territories Tourism and Travel Nunavut signed a memorandum of understanding at the Arctic Summit in Whitehorse in February to establish the organization.
“The focus on the Arctic is clear right now with … [last week’s] announcement from the federal government,” said Caroline Anderson, the executive director of the Yukon association, referring to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s March 12 announcement of $35 billion for Arctic defence and infrastructure.
“So that really, you know, sparks us to … think about ... what is the role of tourism in all of this?”
Carney told reporters during his March 12 announcement that Canada will no longer rely on others to defend its Arctic security or fuel its economy.
His $35-billion announcement was accompanied by news that Ottawa has also referred four major northern projects to the federal Major Projects Office: the Mackenzie Valley Highway, the Taltson Hydro expansion and the Arctic Economic and Security Corridor, whose N.W.T. and Nunavut sections each constitute a separate project.
The new tourism network believes its industry has practical insight to contribute to conversations about the future of the Arctic, it said in a news release announcing its formation, because tourism operates across the North in places few other private-sector industries operate at scale.
The network's initial goals are purely exploratory, the release said, though it is not advocating a policy position or committing to any specific course of action.
The network was inspired by the Arctic Europe Tourism Cluster, which comprises tourism organizations from Sweden, Finland and Norway, Anderson said.
It was not, she added, a response to the “Buy Canadian” movement that has emerged in response to U.S. tariffs or threats by the U.S. president to make Canada the 51st state.
Nonetheless, some recent statistics suggest the North might be benefiting from the movement.
Data released by Flight Centre for the period Nov. 25, 2025 through Feb. 25, 2026 found domestic travel to the N.W.T. was up 150 per cent over the same period in 2024-25, while travel to Nunavut was up six per cent and travel to the Yukon was flat.
International travel to Nunavut was up 300 per cent during the same time period, while travel to the Yukon was up 100 per cent and travel to the N.W.T. was up 37 per cent.
The numbers reflect the total dollar value of bookings, including flights, accommodations, transfers, tours and cruises, a spokesperson said. The company did not provide dollar values but said they were in the tens of thousands.
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