NWT tourism at all-time high – $167.1 million made this year

Tourism visitation numbers to the Northwest Territories this year are the highest they’ve ever been, according to the territorial government.

The 2015-2016 tourism statistics show that visitor spending in the NWT totaled $167.1 million, an increase of just under 14 per cent from the $146.6 million brought in in 2014/2015.

RELATED: GNWT to invest nearly $9.5 million in tourism over the next five years

The statistics show 93,910 people traveled to the territory – of that, 67 per cent were here for leisure.

That’s 7,600 more leisure visitors than last year.

“The Northwest Territories is now getting to (a point) where it is a recognized quality tourism destination,” said Kwame Neba, manager of industry tourism services with the GNWT.

“That would only mean more tourism numbers (increasing) going forward.”

Neba and the GNWT plan to increase visitor spending in the NWT to $207 million annually by 2021 by investing $9.5 million into the tourism sector.