Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada paves the way for the development of Saskatchewan’s Indigenous Tourism Strategy
Posted on December 10, 2019
December 10, 2019, Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 Territories (Saskatoon, SK) – The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) has retained the services of Left Coast Insights and Stormy Lake Consulting, a tourism consultancy partnership, to create Saskatchewan’s inaugural Indigenous Tourism Strategy which will support the development of Indigenous tourism business opportunities across the province.
Once completed, Saskatchewan’s Indigenous tourism strategy will inform the creation and direction of a new Indigenous tourism industry association focused on the development of Indigenous tourism revenues, jobs, businesses, and experiences.
“As we saw when we hosted the 2018 International Indigenous Tourism Conference in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan has the Indigenous entrepreneurs and tourism experiences to become a leader in Indigenous tourism for the country,” says Keith Henry, ITAC’s President and CEO. “We have chosen two outstanding companies to guide the way, with excellent experience across the tourism industry.”
Expected to be completed by March 31, 2020, the comprehensive strategy will include overall goals, objectives, strategies, and selected topline tactical ideas for Saskatchewan, which will align with ITAC’s national pillars of leadership, partnership, marketing, and development tailored to the needs of Indigenous operators and business owners across the province.
The project will include the coordination of management activities, resources, and information for the Saskatchewan Indigenous Tourism Strategy; liaison with ITAC administration and the ITAC Saskatchewan coordinator, and a new Saskatchewan Indigenous Tourism Working Group (comprised of Indigenous tourism industry leaders and stakeholders) to engage and inform strategic priorities; alignment of the Saskatchewan Indigenous tourism strategy with the Government of Saskatchewan’s tourism strategy; and the creation of comprehensive Indigenous Tourism Strategy.
“More travellers than ever before are seeking engaging experiences where they can learn about the local peoples, landscapes, history, and culture. The rapid growth and interest in Indigenous tourism provide a timely opportunity to develop immersive experiences that can transform traveller perspectives and appreciation. Developing Indigenous tourism businesses and experiences provides a powerful economic driver for the province while supporting positive sustainable outcomes for communities,” says Ray Freeman, Left Coast Insights.
“Indigenous tourism experiences provide visitors with one of the most authentic and meaningful opportunities to connect to the land and peoples of Saskatchewan. It changes the way people see the world,” says Philip Coppard, Stormy Lake Consulting.
For more information, visit www.IndigenousTourism.ca.
About the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada
The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is the lead organization tasked with growing the Indigenous tourism industry across the country. Inspired by a vision for a thriving Indigenous tourism economy sharing authentic, memorable and enriching experiences, ITAC develops relationships with groups and regions with similar mandates. By uniting the Indigenous tourism industry in Canada, ITAC works to enable collective support, product development, promotion and marketing of authentic Indigenous cultural tourism businesses in a respectful protocol. With Indigenous tourism outpacing Canadian tourism activity overall, and international demand for Indigenous experiences at an all-time high, ITAC recently updated its five-year plan. Additionally, ITAC just launched their Nations magazine, highlighting Indigenous people and experiences across the country. To book packages and experiences, travellers may visit www.IndigenousCanada.Travel.
For more information on ITAC, visit www.IndigenousTourism.ca.
About Left Coast Insights
Left Coast Insights Ltd. is a tourism management consulting firm specializing in research, strategy, and development to provide communities with insights that create competitive advantage in visitor attraction, experience, and sustainability. We work with public and private sector organizations, and Indigenous communities on community tourism development, tourism experience development, destination management and marketing, sustainable tourism development, community capacity-building, and adventure tourism. Our clients include the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, Tourism Nunatsiavut, Travel Manitoba, Indigenous Tourism British Columbia, Parks Canada, Destination Canada, Alberta Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Destination British Columbia, BC Ministry of Jobs, Tourism & Skills Training – Tourism Policy Branch. www.LeftCoastInsights.com
About Stormy Lake Consulting
Stormy Lake Consulting was established in 2002 and has worked across multiple tourism-related sectors, including tourism, municipal branding, transportation, shopping centres & retail stores, and arts & cultural organizations. The Stormy Lake team has extensive experience developing tourism strategies with regional, provincial and national tourism partners across Canada. Philip Coppard’s tourism experience spans more than three decades, leading tourism strategy efforts for organizations in Western Canada. www.StormyLakeConsulting.com
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Media contacts:
Deirdre Campbell, Beattie Tartan
250-592-3838, 250-882-9199
Deirdre.Campbell@BeattieGroup.com
Keith Henry, ITAC
604-639-4408, 778-388-5013
Keith@IndigenousTourism.ca