The Northwest Territories has been named one of the “best places to go in North America and the Caribbean in 2024” by prominent international travel publication Condé Nast Traveler.
“We are very excited as Northwest Territories has been selected as one of the best places to go in North America in 2024 by esteemed travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler,” reads a post on the official Northwest Territories Tourism Facebook account.
The Condé Nast Traveler article was published on Nov. 15.
It contends that the NWT offers “unmatched stargazing through an Indigenous lens,” and referenced the territory’s world-famous aurora displays, which will be amplified by a phenomenon called solar maximum in 2024.
The article also shone a light on the Indigenous communities in the region, which it said offer “a unique tapestry of history, culture and sacred sites” that are “awaiting exploration.”
Lastly, it highlighted the array of wildlife that lives in the territory, specifically polar bears, caribou, moose, musk ox, and wood bison.
For those interested in a planning a trip the NWT, the article referenced three travel companies: Narwal Northern Adventures and Weber Arctic, both based in Yellowknife, and Beaufort Sea Adventures, which operates out of Tuktoyaktuk.
Wesley Cook, a spokesperson for the GNWT’s Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, called the territory’s inclusion on the Condé Nast Traveler list “spectacular news.”
“This year especially, the credit for the NWT’s status as a premier destination goes to all the businesses, operators, coordinators, and local partners,” said Cook. “The GNWT is incredibly proud to support a tourism sector that is endlessly outgoing and resilient.”
The NWT was joined on Condé Nast Traveler’s list by several postcard-worthy destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico, and American locations such as Detroit, Upstate New York and Santa Fe. The only other Canadian destination on the list was the province of Quebec, which the author praised for its “wide-ranging Indigenous-led experiences,” including polar bear watching excursions with Inuit guides in Nunavik.