Group aims to promote Indigenous tourism in Manitoba
As tourists slowly start to return to Manitoba, a newly recognized organization is making sure Indigenous communities are part of the tourism sector’s post-pandemic recovery.
“It was just crickets on the streets,” said Dave Daley, owner of Wapusk Adventures, a dog-sledding experience in Churchill, as he explained the impact of COVID-19 on his business and community.
Daley is board chair of the Manitoba Indigenous Tourism Association (MITA), which held a virtual summit on Thursday and released elements of a five-year plan for economic recovery for Manitoba’s Indigenous tourism sector.
“We’re happy to be back to the start of being reborn after COVID,” he said.
Daley describes MITA as an advocate for Indigenous tourism in the province that will help the roughly 100+ businesses that currently make up the Indigenous tourism sector, and aid in creating new ones.
“How do I start a business? How do I get going? All that stuff, and templates, will be there over the next four years,” said Daley.
MITA’s 4-year recovery strategy was unveiled on Thursday, crafted in partnership with Tourism Manitoba.
Getting businesses ready to meet existing demand is one major piece of the plan.
“People are looking for authentic Indigenous experiences and we’re focusing on delivering that,” said Colin Ferguson, president and CEO of Travel Manitoba.
Much like Manitoba’s broader tourism industry, the province’s Indigenous tourism sector was hit hard by the pandemic, said Ferguson.
Domestic travel, he added, has helped buoy the sector into 2021, with Travel Manitoba promoting Indigenous cultural experiences available to Manitobans throughout the pandemic.
Attracting more international travellers will be a major part of MITA’s tourism strategy.
One-third of tourists visiting Canada came to the country seeking some form of Indigenous tourism, according to the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada.
In Manitoba, the Indigenous tourism sector was bringing in $49 million in GDP, dropping to $29 million so far this year.
It is estimated the sector won’t reach pre-pandemic levels until 2025.
Keith Henry, president of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, said boosting Manitoba’s international profile will be a key factor in economic recovery.
“It’s an untapped potential right now because Manitoba isn’t often at the forefront of Indigenous destinations,” said Henry.
“Indigenous tourism has a lot more potential room for growth.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.