Canada can be at the forefront of Indigenous tourism
IAN STALKER
The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada says it hopes that Canada will be at the very forefront of Indigenous tourism by the end of the decade.
ITAC vice president Sébastien Desnoyers-Picard told a Feb. 1 TIAC town hall in Toronto that he hopes Canada will be the world leader in Indigenous tourism by 2030, adding it’s already an impressive generator of revenue in this country.
“We are a $1.9-billion industry, ” he told town hall delegates. “It’s not too shabby.”
Indigenous tourism, like other tourism sectors, was hit hard by the pandemic, but Desnoyers-Picard predicted there will be a “full recovery” by 2025.
Desnoyers-Picard said a Leger survey showed 86% of Canadians are interested in Indigenous cultural activities, although Leger also reported that there’s often unfamiliarity with what those activities are.
Desnoyers-Picard said there are factors that hinder the growth of Indigenous tourism, among them Indigenous tourism entrepreneurs who live on reserves having difficulty securing bank loans.
Those involved in Indigenous tourism tend to face greater challenges than others, he said. “Some people have yachts, some have canoes, some have holes in their boats.”
Desnoyers-Picard also said those in Indigenous tourism need to reach out to Indigenous youth, convincing them that tourism careers are attractive to help offset labour shortages.
He said it’s time for the country to go beyond talk of reconciliation and actually empower Indigenous people.
“We continue to walk together and make sure we craft a better future for all of us,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kevin Eshkawkogan, president of Indigenous Tourism Ontario, told the delegates that his association’s members suffered from the pandemic but strong interest in Indigenous tourism means a recovery is underway.
“We are not an emerging market,” he added. “We’ve been doing tourism for over 500 years. “
Having all who are involved in tourism cooperate will lead to the industry doing “amazing things together,” he continued.
The 2023 International Indigenous Tourism Conference will be held March 8-10 in Winnipeg. More information can be found at IndigenousTourismConference.com.
