Today Minister of Tourism and Culture Ranj Pillai announced a new $1 million Community Tourism Destination Development Fund to support community projects across the Yukon that focus on sustainable tourism development in their community or region.
The new annual funding program will be available to local businesses, First Nations governments, First Nation Development entities, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations for projects that will improve tourism related services and infrastructure. Projects can focus on improving accommodations, attractions, activities and amenities. Special consideration will be given to umbrella projects where local organizations are working together to create more tourism opportunities in their community.
Eligible businesses and organizations can apply under Tier 1 for projects with budgets up to $100,000 and under Tier 2 for projects with budgets between $100,001 and $500,000. The deadline for the first intakes is February 15, 2023, for Tier 1 applications and March 15, 2023, for Tier 2 applications.
Full program guidelines and application forms will be available online on November 30. An information session will be held on November 30 from 11 am to 12:30 pm at Yukonstruct in Whitehorse and virtually over Zoom. The session will be recorded and posted online. Outreach sessions will be organized in the coming months in communities across the Yukon.
This new fund will strengthen tourism capacity in communities across the Yukon as the tourism sector continues to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also support actions in the Yukon Tourism Development Strategy, by growing tourism business revenue, building capacity in the Yukon to provide outstanding visitor experiences, creating healthier communities and sharing the Yukon’s uniqueness with the world.
