Indigenous tourism – which offers sustainability and cultural connectivity – is booming in Canada

On a sunny afternoon, a group of cyclists tour Banff National Park, stopping halfway to hike through the park’s Sundance Canyon.

When they stop for a break, guide Heather Black leads the group through a sweeping ceremony, followed by a snack of Alberta-made pemmican strips.

The trip was a trial run for a new type of tour offered by Black’s guided hiking company, Buffalo Stone Woman Iinisskimmaakii.

Demand for that side of her business is already strong — “I need another Heather” to keep up, she jokes — but after hooking up with a Banff-based bike tour operator, the two joined forces to launch Black’s tour on make two wheels. She says the sea trial was a success.

An avid hiker, Black was inspired to start her business after hearing from others on the trail interested in learning how Indigenous people connect to the land. She said Indigenous tourism is in high demand in the Rocky Mountains — a trend that is also taking hold across the country.

“I feel like I connect with a lot of people who tour with us,” said Black, who is a member of the Kainai Nation, about two hours south of Calgary.

“If we have that cross-cultural experience, I think it binds us.”

Before the pandemic hit, the industry was at a steep growth trajectoryand contributed $1.9 billion to the country’s GDP at its peak in 2019, according to the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada.

Recovery from pandemic lows

Like many industries, it was hit hard by the pandemic — falling to less than $500 million in GDP at its lowest point — but recovered faster than expected, said Keith Henry, the organization’s president and CEO.

This year it is expected to bring in $1.5 billion, and revenue could triple by 2030 if demand from domestic and international travelers continues to rise at the same rate, he said.

“It’s highly sought after,” said Henry. “Certainly, I don’t think we’ve ever seen as much interest and demand for Indigenous tourism as we do today.”

Henry attributes that demand to an unprecedented tourist interest in sustainability, indigenous culture and history.

Meanwhile, Henry said, the industry must balance the competing demands of growth and sustainability.

“We want to position Canada as a global leader in Indigenous tourism by 2030,” he said.

“That doesn’t mean we want to have sales that are through the roof and we can’t keep up…We really have to be methodical.”

“It’s really about cultural sustainability and cultural revitalization, and how do we make sure there’s not too much strain on the resources we’re putting forward in these companies,” he said.

But as the industry recovers, he said, it faces labor shortages and the growing threat thereof extreme weather poses for outdoor recreation.

For Black, that means hoping every day that smoke won’t cancel her travels.

“[I’m] saying my prayers daily,” she said.

Tourists crave ‘authentic experience’

Tim Patterson, owner-operator of Zuc’min Guiding, launched his business in Calgary just as the pandemic hit. Still, the company has survived, and he says things have been so “full-on” lately that he’s “looking forward to a few days off.”

Patterson specializes in guided hikes through the mountains of Alberta and BC, his most popular being a guided tour of the Athabasca Glacierabout an hour’s drive from Jasper National Park.

His clients are an even split of Canadian and international visitors, some from Europe and a large proportion from the US. They are typically people who are attracted to the mountains, but are looking for an experience that is out of the ordinary. hotspotshe said.

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“People want an authentic experience and want something different from what they usually get,” says Patterson, who is a member of the Lower Nicola Indian Band in B.C.

In addition, he said, “Indigenous tourism is pretty sexy right now.”

Many operators say that Americans have become an important part of their customer base as US visitors on a faster rate than their foreign counterparts.

Americans have also absorbed headlines from across the border about Indigenous history and Canada’s residential school system, Henry said, sparking curiosity among tourists to experience Canada in a different way.

“It’s not something I think we should shy away from,” he said. “We want to help people understand the true history and story in a healthy and good way.”

Access problems in the countryside, personnel problems

While clients from the US and Canada have helped keep the indigenous tourism industry afloat after the pandemic, the recovery has not been across the board. While businesses in major centers are thriving, those in rural and northern areas are struggling, in part due to a lack of air access.

“It’s a story of two worlds,” said Henry.

For those lucky enough to live near a major city, staffing has been another barrier for many businesses. This is evident from the latest figures Tourism HR Canadathe sector’s workforce is growing, but has still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

For companies like Zuc’min Guiding, whose employees must be trained and certified, hiring takes time.

“Right now I’m a little challenged to find just enough guides to help,” said Patterson.

“It’s not that there aren’t indigenous people to help me, it’s just building that capacity.”

The industry is also increasingly trying to determine the threat of extreme weather, especially wildfires. The summer of 2023 is already shaping up to be one of the worst wildfire seasons in years, posing a major risk to businesses as smoke blankets the country.

“When there’s smoke in the air, people don’t want to enter an area and cancel plans,” said Henry, who noted that businesses in northern communities have been particularly hard hit.

“Obviously we don’t have the resources to solve all that, but it has an impact and we are watching it closely.”

Optimism high ahead

Despite the challenges, there is much optimism about the future of Indigenous tourism in Canada.

For example, Travel Alberta recently donated $6 million to Indigenous Tourism Alberta to support the development of the industry. It is considered the largest provincial contribution of its kind.

The Crown Corporation’s chief commercial officer, Jon Mamela, says interest in indigenous tourism “has never been greater.” He hopes the funding will allow indigenous businesses to become a larger part of the county’s overall industry.

“We believe this is the smart and strategic way forward,” he said.

Black has goals that go beyond just expanding her own business. As a guide, and in her other job as one business coachshe hopes to inspire others.

“There is a great need for Indigenous tourism as we are the original storytellers of this country and we are connected to this country in a different way than many other people out there,” she said.

“We must be many.”