In 2015, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), launched a national Indigenous tourism strategy with a mission to provide leadership in the development and marketing of authentic Indigenous tourism experiences through innovative partnerships. 

Destination Canada’s research has shown that one out of three visitors request an Indigenous experience.  ITAC also commissioned research with the Conference Board of Canada which showed Indigenous Tourism is out pacing tourism activity overall.

 “What was confirmed to us is that direct economic benefits (GDP) attributed to the Indigenous tourism industry rose 23.2 per cent between 2014 and 2017, going from $1.4 billion to $1.7 billion. Compared with a 14.5 per cent increase in overall Canadian tourism activity, this growth shows momentous acceleration within the Indigenous tourism sector,” says Keith Henry, ITAC’s president and CEO.  

ITAC is working hard to meet this demand and is excited to support the growth of provincial and territorial Indigenous tourism associations across the country.