Yukon-Specific Content Addition Context
Starting in May 2021, and running until June, a small group of students at Yukon University embarked on an eye-opening journey to explore tourism and culture in the Yukon and learn how to plan, implement, and evaluate tourism experiences in environmentally and culturally sensitive ways. We were fortunate to have this textbook to help guide us, and the ability to venture out and connect with a variety of tourism operators in the Yukon, going as far outside of Whitehorse – the central hub of the North, to Carcross and Haines Junction during our condensed spring course. Our meetings and trips in the field included: both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous, small- and large-scale tourism operators, various cultural centres, Government of Yukon, tourism organizations such as Yukon First Nations Culture & Tourism, Parks Canada, and Tourism Industry Association of the Yukon. We were able to gain incredible insight into the huge obstacles these diverse groups face and the different approaches they took and are still taking to be successful in the face of adversity.
Throughout our time together, we learned about the principles of sustainable tourism, examined the unique characteristics of Indigenous tourism, and thoroughly studied the impacts the Covid-19 pandemic has had on tourism not only in the Yukon, but in all of Canada and the rest of the world. Since our course took place, we have seen even more changes in the landscape of our society which has in turn impacted many tourism operators as it has now been almost two years since Covid-19 started to affect our northern community. During this course, as third year business students, we discussed our differing viewpoints on a variety of situations, presented our research findings and challenged one another to look through multiple lenses when analysing the different tourism-related businesses and organizations we were fortunate to connect with. Through our assignments we wrote case studies, SWOT analyses, and took on writing supplementary information that would be useful for the Yukon portion of this textbook.
It is through the lens of living, working, playing, and studying in the Yukon that we, the students of Tour300, provide the information you will see in these pages. Tourism in the Yukon has long been an important sector of what our territory has to offer both culturally and economically, and the land of the midnight sun has much to offer those who make the trek to visit this vast and magical place. It was a joy to be a part of this course and we hope you can use the information we have provided to further expand your own perspectives about tourism and allow you to experience the Yukon as a place that is ‘Larger Than Life.’
We were fortunate to travel to many areas in the Yukon during our course including many First Nations traditional territories which we will share with you in this text. We would like to acknowledge that Yukon University – Ayamdigut Campus, which is where this course took place, is located in the traditional territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council.
Instructor: Hillarie Zimmermann
Students: Taylor Bradley, Cathrina Carlyle, Donna-Marie Haughton, Christy Huey, John Laffra, Aven-Lee Lawrence-Enzenauer, Jeffrey Lazeo, Navneet Nijhar, and Kendall Pigeau.
