Tourism Planning in the Arctic Banks Island

Abstract

The high arctic has been a tourism destination “in waiting”. Despite the increasing number of visitors to many Arctic destinations, Banks Island, the most westerly Island of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, has largely been ignored by tourists to date. In 1992, Aulavik National Park was created, and is co-managed by the Government of Canada, and the Inuvialuit. These residents of Banks Island amount to a mere 140 individuals today, and all live in the community of Sachs Harbour in the South West, whereas Aulavik National Park is in the North East of the island. In addition, the park is operating under policy guidelines which tend to work against the community benefiting from tourism to the park. This has presented some unique problems in appropriate and sensitive tourism development. This paper illustrates how an integrated approach to tourism planning was used to help protect a national park, while fostering community economic and social well-being. The approach used focuses on assisting communities and agencies to optimize the outcomes of tourism rather than mitigate against damage, and includes the role that local people may play in influencing appropriate tourism development.