2019 Pacific NorthWest Economic Region Annual Summit

The Tourism Working Group works to develop a more interconnected tourism region and facilitate collaboration among industry partners in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada. During the year, the Working Group helped to support other initiatives such as the PNWER Preclearance Task Force and the cross-border infrastructure projects which focuses on expediting cross-border travel and tourism.

Working Group Co-Chairs
Rep. Gael Tarleton, Washington State Legislature
Dave Cowen, CEO, The Butchart Gardens

Opening Remarks &  Introductions by Co-Chairs
Action items, priorities, and goals for the session

• Dave Cowen, CEO, The Butchart Gardens 
• Rep. Gael Tarleton, Washington State Legislature

Regional Tourism Dashboard
Updates on the latest regional tourism picture, including key statistics and infographics, economic impact and employment figures on the state of the tourism industry in the PNWER region

• Matthew Holme, Manager, Corporate Communications and Destination Management at Destination Greater Victoria

2019 IMPACT Travel & Tourism Sustainability Conference
Hear about key findings, with a focus on identifying solutions to create a regenerative tourism industry based on youth engagement and the four pillars of tourism sustainability: ecology and the environment, community and sense of place, culture and heritage and the economy.  

• Matthew Holme, Manager, Corporate Communications and Destination Management at Destination Greater Victoria

Industry Listening Session: Indigenous Tourism 
Case Study of Saskatchewan Indigenous Tourism Corridor: There is true power in developing and connecting transformative experiences across boundaries and regions. The Indigenous people who have called North America home for millennia have stories and perspectives to share. Those stories are key to pivoting to a transformative experience tourism model if approached in an authentic way. The Indigenous Tourism Corridor project is an example of a model that is changing the way Saskatchewan approaches export tourism development.

• Jim Bence, President and CEO, Saskatchewan Hotel and Hospitality Association

• Christian Boyle, Owner, Glyph Creative Strategy 

Electrification and Modernization of Tourism Ground Transportation 
How can industy and government collaborate to create a more sustainable tourism industry by modernizing visitor ground transportation? And how can we collaborate regionally to develop coordinated transportation policy that incentivizes electrification?  How can a regional green tourism transportation strategy help unite the PNWER region as a progressive “Two-nation vacation” destination, positioning us become a world leader as it relates to managing sustainable tourism growth and cross-border technology?

Case for a Regional Electrification Strategy and Victoria Example

• David Roberts, Managing Director, Pacific Northwest Transportation Services
• Lindsay Gaunt, Director of Cruise Development, Greater Victoria Harbour Authority

Industry Round Table:
Around the room call for industry issues and briefings 

Action Items Discussion
Determine Key Findings & Action Items

Adjourn

More details here.