Tourism is big business in Canada, especially in a year like 2016. But nowhere is it quite as important as Prince Edward Island, where it contributes 6.4 per cent to the total GDP, the highest percentage of any province in Canada.

The industry provides more than 7,700 full-time equivalent jobs and generates more than $60 million a year in provincial taxes.

As with the rest of Canada, which is expecting a 10 per cent increase in visitors from the United States in 2016, Prince Edward Island is seeing a healthy influx of travellers.

The province is estimating it will see a total of 1.5 million visitors this year, a 6.9 per cent increase over last year. (By the end of October, PEI had already welcomed more overnight stays than it did in all of 2015.) This growth in visitation is expected to bring in $430 million in revenue, a growth of 6 per cent over last year.

But as the industry celebrates its successful year, it is also committed to finding new ways to sustain the growth in tourism. To that end, the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island (TIAPEI) has released Vision 2021, a five-year plan designed to guide future success for the province’s inbound visitor market.

“Vision 2021 is a very powerful document that we can act on since the industry was so involved in its creation,” Economic Development and Tourism Minister Heath MacDonald said. “I congratulate TIAPEI on its efforts to put industry at the forefront and for its recommendations on how we can build on our reputation as one of the world’s top tourist destinations.”

The plan explores suggestions for new product offerings, including expanding the tourism season, enhancing its coastal drive offerings, improving aboriginal tourism and further developing the Confederation Trail. It also makes suggestions on how to improve the industry’s tourism funding while also setting strategic goals for the next five years.

Read more: Sunny Outlook for PEI Tourism

With the release of Vision 2021, officials are now planning to meet with operators and industry businesses to determine how to move forward on product development perspectives and discuss other ways to stimulate future tourism to PEI.

“This process could not happen without industry stakeholders taking the lead in developing this strategy,” TIAPEI CEO Kevin Mouflier said.  “This is industry’s strategy to implement, and strong industry representation will ensure all actions are inclusive as we move forward with the development and implementation plan.”

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