Indigenous Tourism BC
After the province went into pandemic shutdown in early 2020, Brenda Baptiste and her team at Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) didn't waste any time.
“We knew our stakeholders were going to be in a panic,” says the chair of the nonprofit organization, whose 400-plus member businesses were getting ready to open for the year.
With its partners, who include provincial agency Destination BC Corp. and the federal government, ITBC quickly shifted $300,000 of its operating budget directly to the Indigenous tourism operators it represents. The Emergency Relief Fund, launched in May 2020, helped those businesses keep the lights on, Baptiste explains. “But more importantly, it provided hope in a time that was so full of doubt,” she says. “That had a huge impact on our stakeholders.”
To offer more support, ITBC held regular Zoom meetings with businesses. “It also gave us an opportunity to align all of our strategies around COVID recovery, based on the information they were giving us,” says Baptiste, who belongs to the Osoyoos Indian Band of the Syilx Okanagan nation. Early last year, with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, ITBC began distributing $5 million in grants via the BC Indigenous Tourism Recovery Fund, which
is offering another $3 million for 2022.
ITBC has also played a key role in making Indigenous voices, stories and communities part of Destination BC'S new Iconics strategy, which aims to highlight globally compelling routes and places. Iconics, part of the provincial government's commitment to reconciliation, celebrates the collaboration between Indigenous people and settlers, Baptiste says. On the marketing side, ITBC'S efforts include its Authentic Indigenous designation program, which appeals to travellers looking for genuine cultural experiences.
For Baptiste, it comes back to the vision for the oldest Indigenous tourism organization in Canada: “to create economic opportunities for First Nations and for Indigenous people in this province, and to create cultural revitalization.” •