Commercial tourism operators now have to pay fees to access Inuit-owned land in the Qikiqtani region, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association announced during its annual general meeting in Iqaluit on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

The Qikiqtani region receives the most cruise ship visits of any region in Nunavut.

Pond Inlet received 17 cruise ships this year, while Iqaluit received four.

“Inuit in Qikiqtani communities have expressed concern regarding the increased amount of commercial tourism activities in the region, particularly cruise ships. QIA put in place these tourism operation fees to generate direct benefits for Inuit in communities impacted by tourism,” P.J. Akeeagok, QIA’s president, said in a news release.

The announcement was followed by a presentation from QIA’s department of lands and resources on the new fees.

The new fees include the following:

• Plane landing on Inuit-owned land: $150 per landing
• Helicopter landing on Inuit-owned land: $100 per landing
• Commercial guest access for camping on Inuit-owned land: $50 per day
• Commercial guest access for less than six hours on Inuit-owned land: $25 per day

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