Press release
Victoria
Wednesday, January 19, 2022 2:00 p.m.
A one-time allocation of $3.7 million will help Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) lead the Indigenous tourism industry to its pre-pandemic level of success by 2024.
“Before the pandemic, Indigenous tourism was one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry. This funding is a call to action from the sector to enable Indigenous communities to recover and thrive so that Indigenous cultural experiences can once again be shared with the world,” said Melanie Mark, Hli Haykwhl Ẃii X̱sgaak, Minister Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. . “This funding supports self-determination, economic and cultural reconciliation, and responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
As part of its Tourism Alignment Strategy, ITBC will support First Nations stakeholders and communities through capacity building and resilience funding to cultivate a thriving and sustainable tourism industry. This funding will improve Indigenous tourism by making tourism planning, training and mentorship services available to First Nations communities and businesses. It will help Indigenous businesses expand their reach by purchasing new digital and online tools, providing training programs to help businesses develop marketable tourism products, and working with interested First Nations to develop and market tourism experiences. .
“Over the next two years, ITBC is committed to making choices that benefit stakeholders and Indigenous communities to support recovery and build competitiveness for the future,” said Brenda Baptiste, President of Indigenous. Tourism BC. “We value and value the collaboration and partnerships we have with industry and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.
ITBC’s Tourism Alignment Strategy focuses on creating alignment of Indigenous, provincial, regional and federal partners so that ITBC can continue to enhance BC’s collaborative tourism network and support the expansion of tourism business activities by Aboriginal entrepreneurs and communities over the next two years. The support of this strategy will help many First Nations to revive tourism in their communities.
Indigenous Tourism BC is playing a critical role in facilitating a meaningful and positive impact on the recovery and resilience of BC Indigenous tourism businesses, operators and communities impacted by the pandemic. The ITBC ensures that Indigenous tourism businesses are supported in their recovery from the pandemic and encourages the development of authentic Indigenous cultural tourism experiences for visitors. They also help generate bookings for market-ready businesses.
Fast facts:
- $3.7 million is being provided to support the application of ITBC’s 2021-2024 Tourism Alignment Strategy to implement COVID-19 recovery and fully restore Indigenous tourism to levels of 2017-2018.
- $8 million has been provided to ITBC for Business Recovery Grants in 2020-21 and 2021-22 to provide direct support to Indigenous tourism businesses during pandemic recovery.
- Prior to the pandemic, Indigenous tourism was the fastest growing sector of the tourism industry, generating $705 million in gross domestic output and creating 7,400 full-time jobs.
- There are over 480 Indigenous tourism businesses within over 200 First Nations in British Columbia.
- ITBC reports that 91% of its stakeholders were closed or operating with limited capacity, and 74% of Indigenous businesses had to lay off staff during the pandemic.
- ITBC’s role is to support all Aboriginal tourism-related businesses to increase their economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits through tourism. This role includes engaging with BC First Nations to educate them on the value of tourism to consider as part of their economic development plans and providing connections to tourism businesses and entrepreneurs.
https://news.gov.bc.ca/26116
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