A new vision for tourism in the territory was unveiled Friday morning during an event that drew about 50 people to the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre.

The steering committee tasked with the work has provided the government with a 10-year strategy entitled Sustainable Tourism. Our Path. Our Future.

“It is truly a historic day for the Yukon,” Tourism and Culture Minister Jeanie Dendys told the audience inside the centre’s theatre.

She noted the work by a steering committee made up of many organizations involved in tourism began more than a year ago.

“We wanted to develop a vision that all Yukoners could see themselves in,” Dendys said before going on to thank the steering committee and all those who took part in the process.

As she pointed out during the public consultation process, there were more than 500 Yukoners who provided 12,000 comments about how to sustainably grow tourism.

The said she’s looking forward to discussing the document with her cabinet colleagues with the government, then looking at the feasibility as the steering committee gets set to continue to oversee the implementation.

Steering committee chair Rich Thompson said it was clear throughout the committee’s work that “Yukoners are passionate about (the) Yukon.”

There’s a desire for a thriving Yukon economy along with a desire of Yukoners to see and enjoy the territory’s natural environment, he said, as well as honouring the Yukon’s heritage with a focus on celebrating culture.

Thompson then outlined the three goals of the strategy:

• a thriving tourism economy that would see revenue doubled by 2028 compared to 2016, the last time figures were tabulated;

• sustainable tourism development; and

• resident support for tourism.

From those goals, Thompson said, four “pillars for success” were developed.

Those include creating the foundation for generational change, which would look at:

• roads, signs and airport facilities that support tourism;

• providing outstanding visitor experiences;

• sharing the vibrant history and culture of Yukon First Nations; and

• sharing the Yukon’s story.

The next steps would see action plans developed for the various items outlined in the strategy with the steering committee continuing its work for the next year as part of the implementation.

The plan, he said, is “meant to evolve.”

Thompson said he’s looking forward to the government’s response to the strategy and beginning the implementation work.

As Thompson noted in a statement: “By working together and aligning our efforts across the sector, we can create the conditions for tourism to play a more prominent role in Yukon to the benefit of future generations.”

While Friday’s session at the Beringia centre celebrated the strategy, the Official Opposition Yukon Party criticized the timing of the event.

By waiting until after the legislative sitting wrapped up last Thursday, the party pointed out, the governing Liberals “evaded having their new strategy subject to scrutiny in the legislature.”