Representatives from Australia, New Zealand and British Columbia take part in Native Nations exchange program
Representatives from Australia, New Zealand and British Columbia take part in Native Nations exchange program
The conclusion of the Native Nations exchange program in Vancouver recently is just the beginning for a group of Indigenous tour operators and tourism stakeholders in three countries.
The 36 aboriginal youth who took part in the Native Nations program over nearly five weeks – travelling around three Pacific-rimmed countries this past summer – have gone home with lifetime memories. The travel professionals who contributed their tour programs to a schedule of First Nations trips are now forming new products and planning their launch.
It was a win/win for both parties, and they all recently gathered to celebrate the Tri-Nations Cross-Cultural Youth Exchange at the Bill Reid Gallery in downtown Vancouver. They did it with a night of speeches, music, dances and dining on Indigenous cuisine. “This program will add more meaning to their lives,” said Paula Amos, chief marketing and development officer for Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC), referring to the participants. Baxter Media’s Ted Davis was in attendance.
The Indigenous youths, aged 16-to-24, were from Australia, New Zealand and British Columbia and were chosen through applications. They embarked on journeys through Australia and then New Zealand from July 19 to Aug. 10, followed by British Columbia explorations from Sept. 8 to 20.
This was the second Native Nations tour, but the first in which Canadian aboriginal teens and young adults joined in. The tour programs were all supported by Indigenous businesses and operators.
The hope is to launch three itineraries based on these travels as bookable experiences in each of the countries in the near future, said Amos. The website for Native Nations will be launched by the end of October 2024, and the new bookable itineraries will be loaded in when they have been finalized.
“The goal is to generate more bookings for the suppliers and make it easier for visitors to find and book Indigenous experience and itineraries,” said Amos. “The suppliers gave us group rates and behind-the-scenes information so the youth could gain knowledge on the business side of the operations.”
There were five suppliers from Australia and 14 from New Zealand, plus 20 from Canada. The Canadian ones ranged from better-known Indigenous attractions like the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, the Peak 2 Peak gondola, Spirit Ridge resort and the BC Museum of Anthropology, to lesser known brands. Other funding sources included Air Canada, which provided excellent rates, she said.
