Indigenous tourism operators set to welcome visitors with web platform
B.C.’s Indigenous tourism industry is hoping Canadians will look to their own backyards for travel experiences this summer.
Keith Henry, president and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, said the group is launching a new web platform called Destination Indigenous.
It will live today, Indigenous People’s Day, to present a list of businesses that are open and ready to welcome visitors. along with an interactive map and booking service.
June is when Canadians honour the history, heritage and diversity of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
At destination indigenous. ca, visitors will be able to click on a region to see what is open and available to do.
“We’ll be keeping up in real time with which businesses are reopening or remain open,” said Henry.
In the meantime, travellers can check Indigenoustourism.ca for travel information.
Henry said the new platform is an important part of introducing Indigenous protocols to the tourism sector, and part of that is consultation with communities and respecting the decisions of different First Nations.
“We are working with partners to help Indigenous communities build more confidence on how to reopen effectively,” said Henry. “Over half our Indigenous tourism businesses aren’t on reserve, so a lot of them will reopen along with the non-Indigenous business community. But about 45 per cent are on reserve, and there is significant concern about having an Indigenized approach to how we reopen.”
Some First Nations closed their borders to non-residents to protect their community members from COVID-19.
“We don’t want tour operators selling tourism within those areas if those nations don’t want tourism or aren’t ready for it yet,” said Henry.
But plenty of businesses are reopening throughout the province, and the website will track the reopenings so Canadian travellers can plan their trips.
Canadians make up about 55 per cent of the Indigenous tourism industry’s customers. Some 45 per cent of travellers traditionally came from outside of Canada, but that group contributed about 60 per cent of the revenue.
“Tourists coming from outside of Canada spent more money per person,” said Henry.
Before the pandemic, Canada had 1,900 Indigenous-owned tourism businesses, approximately 40,000 Indigenous tourism employees, contributed $1.9 billion in revenue to Canada’s gross domestic product, and between 2015-19, the sector grew 20 per cent a year.
“This number is going to fall sharply,” said Henry.
The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada is projecting Indigenous tourism revenues will drop to $550 million, projecting a loss of up to 69 per cent of their businesses.
On June 11, the federal government announced $133 million in support for Indigenous businesses affected by COVID-19, $16 million of which is earmarked for Indigenous tourism businesses.
Henry projects the industry across Canada will need $557 million over the long term, with more flexible financing options for small businesses.
The Destination Indigenous platform and marketing campaign will showcase Indigenous experiences across Canada, both urban and rural, and offer Zoom backgrounds featuring Indigenous experience imagery.