NWT Tourism update on financial supports for the tourism industry

Dear Members,

Today I'd like to share some industry news regarding financial supports for the industry and a few other advocacy items.

GNWT New Funding Announcement
Yesterday the GNWT-ITI announced new supports for tourism operators who have exhausted the support available under the federal government's Northern Business Relief Fund (NBRF) and Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF).

Tourism operators will be able to apply to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment to cover the same fixed operating costs set out under the NBRF.

Eligible operators will be able to claim up to $50,000 for expenses which can include: rent/mortgage; utilities (heat; electric; water and sewer; phone and internet); subscriptions (for example: financial or booking systems); and insurance.

This is a one-time funding initiative designed to help companies through to April 1, 2021 when new government supports are anticipated to become available.  Expenses already covered by federal payments under the NBRF and the RRRF will not be eligible.

Eligible tourism operators should contact their regional ITI Tourism Development Officer.

Federal Government Extends Pandemic Benefits
Prime Minister Trudeau recently announced that federal benefits will be extended. The announcement including the following extension to supports.

• Increase the number of weeks available under the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) by 12 weeks extending the maximum duration of the benefits through regulation from 26 weeks to up to 38 weeks;
• increase the number of weeks available under the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) through regulation from the current 2 weeks to 4 weeks; and
• increase the number of weeks of EI regular benefits available by up to 24 weeks to a maximum of 50 weeks through legislation, for claims that are made between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021.

The legislation to approve these changes in in progress, and announcements will be made in the coming weeks. See more information here. 

Tourism Industry of Canada (TIAC) Recovery Plan
TIAC has recently produced a recovery plan, and all members of TIAC, including NWT Tourism, are advocating for support for industry through this plan and on other fronts. To see the TIAC recovery plan, click here.

Advocacy Work with the Covid Secretariat
NWT Tourism is meeting regularly with the Covid Secretariat in the NWT in order to advocate for a clear plan for reopening the Northwest Territories to leisure travel, when the time is right. The Secretariat and the Chief Public Health Officer are currently focused on the vaccine rollout. The vaccine rollout in the NWT has been remarkable to date, and we commend these offices for the work they are doing. In our advocacy work we are encouraging the Government of the NWT to begin thinking about the post-vaccination environment as we know that planning for the future is critical to our tourism operators, as it is to NWT Tourism. To see the vaccine progression by province, please click here. 

There are many other things happening on the advocacy front, and we do see a light at the end of this dark tunnel we have all been through. Please expect more news communications in the coming weeks.

Kindest Regards,

Donna Lee Demarcke
Chief Executive Officer
NWT Tourism
executive@spectacularnwt.com 
867-873-5007 Ext: 1005