$ 35 million for 7 years to support Aboriginal tourism in Canada

The Aboriginal tourism sector receives a significant financial boost from the private sector to facilitate its growth. The National Association, which brings together 2,700 of these companies in the country, will have around 35 million dollars a year, for seven years, to support the expansion of companies, promote and invest in infrastructure.

Aboriginal tourism is in major demand, whether in the country or internationallysays Keith Henry, CEO of the Aboriginal Tourist Association of Canada. He believes that this is an aspect that helps Canada stand out as a tourist destination.

There are a lot of incredible, world class destinations. We want the world to know that there is more things to explore in the country.

The Aboriginal tourist offer takes the form of hotels, restaurants or cultural events such as festivals or Pow-Wow.

A potentially very lucrative market

From a financial point of view, Aboriginal tourism is a very lucrative market, underlines Jason Johnston, coordinator of cultural programs at the park Cape Crokerin the Bruce peninsula.

There is a great interest in authentic experiences, not just in Canada, but around the world.

Travelers go to a new country and want people who live there to make them discover their culture, he explains.

Aboriginal tourism in Canada represented $ 1.7 billion in 2018, according to the association. Five years later, after the pandemic, this number had dropped 24 %to $ 1.3 billion.

Marie-Pierre Lainé, head of development and partnerships at Aboriginal tourism Quebec, hopes to see a rise.

There is a need in the indigenous community to have these stable, well -paid jobs, which allow them to flourish in their own culture.

My dream is to see our income triple in the next seven yearssays for his part Keith Henry.

Make their culture discover

Marie-Pierre Lainé considers that the museum visit, POW-WOW or activities in the outfitters, for example, make it possible to publicize Aboriginal traditions in Canadians.

For a very long time, organizations and companies offered Aboriginal inspiration programs which were presented with a vision of Eurocentrism and Colonialism. They did not take into account our lived experience and our contributiondeplores Jason Johnston. Communities and First Nations want to transmit culture themselves to visitors, he said.

Keith Henry believes that tourists must be made to understand that experiences are very diversified from one end to the other in the country. When you are in Toronto, whether you were going to British Columbia, in Newfoundland and Labrador or in the Northwest Territories, it is not homogeneous, it is not the same. It is communities and entrepreneurs who share their culture.

With information from Sarah Tomlinson and Talia Ricci, CBC