BATC eyes development, growth of Indigenous tourism in region

Oct 31, 2019 | 5:00 PM

As interest in Indigenous tourism grows across Canada and around the globe, an agency in the Battlefords is looking to share the rich stories of the region.

After securing funding from the federal government through the Western Diversification Canada Fund, Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs (BATC) is assessing the feasibility of tourism development and the impacts it can have on the economy and job creation.

“We are very excited about this partnership and tourism opportunity,” CFO Kathy Kissick said. “The area in and around the Battlefords has many stories to be shared.”

The diverse makeup of First Nations and Métis communities around the region are closely tied to several major historical events. This, along with the existing tourism assets in the region, showcase the potential to develop Indigenous tourism experiences, a spokesperson for BATC outlined in a statement.

“It is with that shared history that we work to develop a strong tourism strategy for today. Tourism is a key factor to economic development,” Kissick said.

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The organization has issued a request for proposal for consulting services for an Indigenous tourism connector project coordinator. This person will conduct an audit of regional tourism opportunities available, how they can be supported, and explore what skill sets are required to operate them, among other tasks.

According to a joint research initiative from the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) and The Conference Board of Canada, Indigenous tourism’s contribution to the nation’s GDP rose 23.2 per cent between 2014 and 2017. It went from $1.4 billion to $1.7 billion. That is compared to a 14.5 per cent growth in overall tourism in Canada.

ITAC is a non-profit organization that works to grow and promote Indigenous tourism in Canada.

While the main drivers of employment and GDP contributions come from air transportation and resort casinos, the report published in February 2019 said it is cultural workers like Elders and knowledge keepers, who “define many of the authentic Indigenous cultural experiences available to tourists in Canada.”

The sector employed just over 39,000 people in 2017, 3,608 of which were in Saskatchewan, and contributed $116.7 million to the country’s GDP.

—

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr

by Tyler Marr

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BATC eyes development, growth of Indigenous tourism in region

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