The Tourism Business Mentorships will be delivered virtually this year as the Department of Industry, Tourism, and Investment continues to adjust its program delivery to reflect the COVID-19 environment.
The Tourism Business Mentorship Program provides opportunities and resources for interested NWT tourism operators (Mentees) to learn and benefit from experienced industry professionals (Mentors).
Mentorships are delivered under an agreement with the Canadian Executive Service Organization and its network of executive-level volunteers who offer decades of specialized business knowledge in a wide range of business-related disciplines. Special consideration will be given to matching NWT mentees with CESO mentors experienced in crisis recovery and skilled in delivering long distance support.
Katrina Nokleby, Minister of ITI notes that individual operators and service providers are both the face and foundation of our industry and that ITI recognizes that this is a difficult time for the NWT tourism sector as 92 percent of respondents to a March tourism survey reported that COVID-19 has impacted their business.
“By providing this opportunity for them to broaden individual knowledge, skills and expertise, we are also investing in the capacity and health of their businesses and our industry for the longer term recovery of the sector.”
ITI will fund 10 Tourism Business Mentorships this year (twice as many as in a normal program year). Mentees will receive 49 hours of mentorship on a schedule developed to suit their availability and using a wide variety of using virtual tools and platforms.
Applications for virtual tourism business mentorships are being accepted until August 17th.
