Tourism and events, Indigenous peoples, Canada Tourism development strategic plan

Summary

EEM was selected among twelve consulting firms to develop a Tourism Development Strategic Plan for the region of Moosonee and Moose Factory located in north-eastern Ontario.

Approach and Solution

The client’s objective was to develop a Strategic Plan that would be aligned with the needs and aspirations of the local population. To this end, the EEM team led consultation activities with the general public as well as collaborative development activities with local actors and other stakeholders.

To develop the framework, EEM first confirmed how the community self-identifies, what its values are and what mission it has with respect to tourism. The team also validated the unique selling points of the community and surrounding areas and developed a marketing slogan and message. As a second step, EEM conducted a market analysis including the classification of potential visitors and an inventory of services and products on offer. An analysis of the gaps was then validated with the local actors.

Then, in collaboration with local and regional stakeholders, the EEM experts developed a Strategic Plan to both improve the supply and the demand for tourism in the region. This breaks down into a series of concrete targets to be achieved in the short, medium and long term, including the development of some new infrastructure, organisations and ways to communicate and collaborate. To facilitate the implementation of the Strategic Plan, a tool for tracking progress was also developed taking into account the specific needs of the client.

Results

The Plan was well received by the client, local stakeholders, as well as major donors. Its implementation is ongoing.