{"id":308083,"date":"2025-11-26T12:21:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T12:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/308083\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T12:21:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T12:21:09","slug":"indigenous-tourism-is-thriving-in-canada-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/308083\/","title":{"rendered":"Indigenous tourism is thriving in Canada\u2014here\u2019s why"},"content":{"rendered":"

Indigenous tourism is growing. The World Travel & Tourism Council\u00a0projects that it will add $67 billion<\/a>\u00a0to the global travel economy by 2034. The world leader is Canada<\/a>, where 1.8 million people identify as First Nations, Inuit, or M\u00e9tis, the country\u2019s three primary groups of native-born people. According to a\u00a0report by the Conference Board of Canada,<\/a>\u00a0in 2023, Indigenous tourism contributed $1.2 billion in revenue, nearly twice that in 2017, and supported more than 50,000 jobs across the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

HX Expedition\u2019s\u00a0Northwest Passage & Arctic Canada cruise<\/a>\u00a0is the newest example of the rising tide of Indigenous tourism. In a radical revamp of the traditional cruise model, \u201cThrough the Arctic Labyrinth\u201d not only highlights the raw beauty of lesser-known places but also serves to highlight the culture and traditions of the Inuit, who have been stewards of the region for 5,000 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

(These Indigenous women are reshaping Canada\u2019s tourism industry<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\"HX<\/p>\n

A local fisherman teaches guests on HX Expedition\u2019s Northwest Passage & Arctic Canada cruise about local catch, specifically Arctic Char.<\/p>\n

Photograph Courtesy Greg Funnell & HX Expeditions<\/p>\n

\u201cI often compare it to visiting someone\u2019s home. In the past, it felt like ships were letting themselves in and walking out the back door without conversation,\u201d says Mariah Erkloo, an Inuk product planner who helped co-create HX\u2019s land-based excursions with the local communities. \u201cThe turning point comes when the \u2018homeowner\u2019 opens the door, invites you in, and you walk together, sharing perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n

History of Indigenous tourism in Canada\u00a0<\/p>\n

Although the term\u00a0Indigenous tourism\u00a0came into mainstream use only in the past few decades, the concept is centuries old. The first explorers and colonizers in the New World relied on Indigenous guides to help them safely transit unfamiliar paths and waterways and teach them to live off the land.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As travelers\u2019 tastes have evolved, so have the country\u2019s Indigenous experiences. The most visible transformation began in the 1990s, with a wave of Indigenous-owned casinos and resorts.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Through Canada\u2019s vast size and range of Native populations\u2014the largest of its three groups, First Nations, is comprised of\u00a0more than 630 communities representing 50 nations and 50 languages<\/a>\u2014a respectful collaboration has cultivated a deep cultural understanding to curate uniquely new and different travel experiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shannon McEwen, Indigenous tourism development specialist with Explore Edmonton, and a member of the\u00a0Otipemisiwak M\u00e9tis\u00a0<\/a>government, says, \u201cGlobally, what sets us apart is our [diversity]. Depending on what province you\u2019re in, what territory, the Indigenous tourism experience is going to be completely different.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Meet the M\u00e9tis: culture and crafts with the First Nation people of Alberta<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Canada\u2019s modern-day Indigenous experiences\u00a0<\/p>\n

British Columbia<\/a>, Ontario<\/a>, and Qu\u00e9bec <\/a>have the largest share of Canada\u2019s nearly\u00a03,000 Indigenous organizations and entrepreneurs,\u00a0including museum curators, wilderness guides, performers, and artisans. Food and storytelling fuel the usual experiences, but unexpected offerings have proliferated.<\/p>\n

In Edmonton, tourists can take a\u00a0guided nature walk to learn about plants<\/a>\u00a0used by the\u00a0M\u00e9tis people<\/a>\u00a0for food and medicine. Stay at a\u00a0stylish hotel inspired by longhouses<\/a>, Native American communal dwelling spaces, at a Huron-Wendat reserve near Old Qu\u00e9bec, or go\u00a0glamping under the Northern Lights<\/a>\u00a0on Piikani Nation land in Alberta.\u00a0Paddle a replica L\u0259k\u0313\u02b7\u0259\u014b\u0259n canoe<\/a>\u00a0in the waters of Victoria Harbor, off Vancouver Island, while learning about the history of First Nations people. Attend\u00a0Indigenous Fashion Week<\/a>\u00a0in Vancouver, or the\u00a0Great Northern Arts Festival<\/a>,\u00a0a\u00a0five-day celebration of Arctic Canadian Indigenous art, culture, and music,\u00a0in the Northwest Territories. In Ottawa, book an\u00a0encounter with the endangered Ojibwe Spirit Horse<\/a>. The latter includes a self-guided Trail of the Native Ponies pathway, where you can hear the teachings of elders and knowledge keepers, view Indigenous art, and take a private walk with the Spirit Horses.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

(Go beyond French Canada and explore a different side of Qu\u00e9bec<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Tourists can take a tour with Songhees Tours to paddle a replica L\u0259k\u0313\u02b7\u0259\u014b\u0259n canoe to explore the traditional lands and waters of the Indigenous Lekwungen people.<\/p>\n

Photograph Courtesy Matt Shannon<\/p>\n

\u201cWe make sure that our groups are small, so we have a connection with each guest,\u201d says Talaysay Campo, who is both Squamish and Sechelt, and is co-owner of\u00a0Talaysay Tours<\/a>\u00a0in British Columbia. The company offers a variety of activities, from kayaking and forest bathing to sustainable harvesting and drum meditation workshops\u2014a guided meditation experience in which attendees are encouraged to connect through rhythm, sound, and spirit.<\/p>\n

Campo has found the bonds forged between travelers and communities to be profound. \u201cI feel like we are redirecting the narrative that has been written for us,\u201d she says. \u201cNot just in tourism, but throughout all of Turtle Island.\u201d (Turtle Island\u00a0is a term for North America that comes from\u00a0Indigenous creation stories<\/a>.)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Models<\/p>\n

Watch Indigenous designers reveal their contemporary fashions on the runway at the annual Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week.<\/p>\n

Photograph Courtesy Alana Paterson, Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week<\/p>\n

Even in the Atlantic provinces, which make up about 11 percent of Canada\u2019s Indigenous tourism activity, new experiences are on the rise. Among them, guests can participate in\u00a0a glassmaking workshop<\/a>\u00a0in Nova Scotia, creating their own glass art inspired by Mi\u2019kmaq symbolism, or in\u00a0kayaking and food-foraging tours<\/a>\u00a0with a Metepenagiag\u00a0guide in New Brunswick.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On Lennox Island, a Mi\u2019kmaq community off the northwest coast of Prince Edward Island, \u201cBannock and Clams in the Sand<\/a>\u201d combines Indigenous storytelling with making Bannock, or traditional bread. The immersive experience is the result of conversations with community elders about food security, says Jamie Thomas, director of culture and tourism the\u00a0Lennox Island First Nation<\/a>, and a member.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After the leaders shared stories of baking bread surreptitiously in the sand to avoid the ire of white colonizers, the community realized it was the perfect vehicle for combining entertainment with cultural exchange.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Ojibwe<\/p>\n

Ojibwe spirit horses\u2014a rare horse breed native to the Ojibwe people of Canada\u2014running at the M\u0101dah\u00f2k\u00ec Farm.<\/p>\n

Photograph Courtesy Sandy Sharkey Photography<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s an educational component that people are really looking for,\u201d Thomas says, especially in light of\u00a0recent findings of mass graves<\/a>\u00a0at some of Canada\u2019s now-defunct\u00a0residential schools<\/a>, where Indigenous children were forced to reside in the 19th and 20th centuries after being torn from their families.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019ve done is create hands-on experiences that allow you to learn about our history with colonization, and to really celebrate the unique perspectives that Indigenous people have,\u201d Thomas explains. \u201cWe want people to take that journey with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tourism experiences such as these are economic drivers, creating jobs and business opportunities, usually in remote areas. Less tangible but even more potent, Indigenous experiences facilitate cultural revitalization by preserving traditional knowledge and languages and encouraging sharing within communities. \u201cIt\u2019s about self-determination and empowerment,\u201d says McEwen. \u201cIt allows communities to control how their culture and land are presented. It\u2019s a platform for capacity building and skills development.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

McEwen is especially encouraged by Indigenous youth who now realize that tourism and hospitality are viable career options. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing Indigenous communities and individuals taking their place in the national economy, providing for themselves and their families. That\u2019s not just for today, but for coming generations,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

(See America\u2019s parks with Indigenous peoples who first called them home<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Bridging cultures<\/p>\n

Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups are collaborating on everything from tours to multimedia\u00a0marketing campaigns<\/a>. Learning from the land is a key theme.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Paula Amos, chief marketing and development officer for Indigenous Tourism British Columbia, and a Nuu-chah-nulth woman, points to her community\u2019s philosophy\u00a0Hishuk ish tsawalk,\u00a0or \u201cEverything is one; all is interconnected.\u201d The universe, Amos explains, \u201cis an integrated whole, and all living things, including humans, plants, and animals, are connected.\u00a0It emphasizes the importance of respecting this interconnectedness and caring for the natural world as part of a larger unified system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the transformative power of Canada\u2019s Indigenous tourism experiences lies not in their novelty but in their authenticity. Erkloo says, \u201cVisitors aren\u2019t just watching from the outside\u2014they\u2019re part of the community for that moment. That\u2019s very different from traditional tourism. It\u2019s shared, and it\u2019s real.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Five ways to experience Indigenous tourism in the U.S.<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Indigenous tourism is growing. The World Travel & Tourism Council\u00a0projects that it will add $67 billion\u00a0to the global…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":308084,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[49,48,137844,32924,50688,137846,137843,137842,69669,69670,44,23408,137845],"class_list":["post-308083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canada-tourism","tag-first-nations","tag-forest-bathing","tag-indigenous-fashion-week","tag-indigenous-tourism","tag-indigenous-tours","tag-inuit","tag-metis","tag-news","tag-prince-edward-island","tag-turtle-island"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=308083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308083\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/308084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=308083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=308083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}