Indigenous & BC Tourism Conferences
Attending conferences is always a source of inspiration, learning and connecting with others in the industry. This past month, some of our leadership team and member businesses had the honour of participating in the International Indigenous Tourism Conference (IITC) in Montreal, and the BC Tourism Conference in Vancouver.
In addition to being on the road, our team collaborated with Tourism Ucluelet and 4TVI on Explore VI - an opportunity to showcase our destination to top Receptive Tour Operators (RTO) in the Travel Trade Market.
The International Indigenous Tourism Conference (IITC) took place in Montreal, or Tiohtià:ke—a historic gathering place for many Nations. Alongside 1,000 representatives from Indigenous tourism businesses, Nations, and allies, we engaged in meaningful discussions led by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada.
Throughout the conference, we listened to powerful stories of resilience and success from the growing community of Indigenous tourism operators. We participated in workshops aimed at strengthening our efforts to support and uplift these businesses, while also celebrating deep cultural roots and the voices of young leaders.
The event concluded with an inspiring awards evening, where we proudly supported Whʔaala (Savannah) from Ahous Adventures, a nominee for Employee of the Year, and listened to the remarkable journeys of Indigenous entrepreneurs.
The BC Tourism Industry Conference encouraged us to come together during a time of political and economic uncertainty, re-focusing on the many strengths and opportunities across the tourism industry. It covered essential aspects of destination management, including the economic value of tourism, future travel insights, attracting tourism investment in Canada, Indigenous tourism, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives. Additionally, the conference highlighted regenerative tourism efforts and the social and cultural value of tourism.
Conferences like these are a great way to get inspired, and one breakout session that really resonated with some of our team was with Rebecca Mackenzie from the Culinary Tourism Alliance. She shared the incredible work the Alliance is doing in collaboration with Parks Canada in Cape Breton and the Mi’kmaq people to create an Indigenous-led dining experience in the National Park featuring traditional foods. We also attended several engaging sessions, including Innovation Norway: Learning, Leading and Acting Together for Sustainability, Next Gen Tourism, and Unlocking the Power of Inclusion.
Our Executive Director, Brad, also spoke on a panel alongside Destination Think on 'DMO's Leading Collaboration', where he was able to show the latest trailer for season 2 of the Travel Beyond Podcast. If you're interested in learning more or listening to the podcast, take a look here.
Most recently, our Media & Communications Manager, Danielle, worked with the 4TVI team and Tourism Ucluelet on bringing 20 RTO's to visit the West Coast. This included an event at Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, where businesses and CDMO's across Vancouver Island could attend to share updates or information to the RTO's. The following day, some attended an extended FAM which included site visits to an array of outfitters in Tofino, an experience on the water and time to enjoy Tofino. A big thank you to those partners that made this FAM a success!
For anyone that might be interested in learning more about Travel Trade, please don't hesitate to reach out to