Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishnabeg, Chippewa, Haudenosaunee, and Wendat Territory (Toronto, ON) – The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) has released its 2025–26 Operational Plan, backed by a seven-year funding commitment made possible through Social Impact Funding, supported by a group of investors who have directed targeted resources toward strengthening Indigenous tourism in Canada. This funding will provide approximately $35 million per year to support long-term development across the sector.
“This new funding marks an important step forward and reflects both the resilience of the Indigenous tourism industry and the growing demand for Indigenous experiences across Canada – from coast to coast to coast,” said Keith Henry, president and CEO of ITAC. “Despite global uncertainties, including U.S. tariffs, ITAC remains committed to supporting our 1,300+ members and advancing one of our most ambitious operational plans to date.”
The plan also marks ITAC’s 10 years of supporting and advancing Indigenous tourism in Canada. As Indigenous tourism continues to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, this transformational investment creates new opportunities for growth, leadership, and long-term change. It also positions ITAC to play a key role in advancing Indigenous-led tourism, economic reconciliation, and sustainability in the years ahead.
Key to ITAC’s success is its collaborative work with Indigenous communities that choose to welcome visitors to their lands and waters – a relationship built on trust, and one the organization remains committed to upholding.
By 2030, ITAC aims for the Indigenous tourism sector in Canada to reach 2,700 businesses and 60,000 jobs, and contribute $6 billion annually to national gross domestic product (GDP). Achieving this goal requires significant growth in both the number of businesses and the workforce. As of 2023, the sector has seen 2,757 Indigenous-owned and operated tourism businesses; 34,711 jobs in Indigenous tourism; $1.3 billion in GDP contributions.
Indigenous tourism in Canada contributed $1.7 billion to the GDP in 2018, however by 2023, that number had dropped 24 per cent to $1.3 billion. The 2025-26 Operational Plan serves as the first step of many to rebuild and grow Indigenous tourism in Canada to meet the 2030 vision.
“This plan is backed by targeted investments that support every part of the Indigenous tourism ecosystem,” adds Henry. “The Operational Plan lays out its commitment to our members across the country through significant new investments in marketing, development and other business support.”
These investments include more than $6 million in marketing efforts such as campaigns, trade shows and media outreach; business support programs aligned with The Original Original accreditation at $8 million annually; and the launch and development of the Indigenous Tourism Heritage Fund (ITHF), which will support large-scale Indigenous tourism investments, beginning with a $1 million startup investment.
Workforce development remains a priority, with over $5 million committed each year to address labour shortages and build sector capacity. The plan also includes more than $3 million in annual support for provincial and territorial partners, and a $1.8 million annual investment to continue hosting the International Indigenous Tourism Conference (IITC).
ITAC has built strong federal partnerships with Destination Canada, Tourism HR Canada, the Hotel Association of Canada, Restaurants Canada, Parks Canada, and Tourism Industry Association of Canada, while also working closely with Indigenous tourism organizations and destination marketing organizations across provinces and territories.
For more information and to view the 2025-26 Operational Plan, visit here.
About the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada
The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is a national non-profit Indigenous tourism industry organization established in 2015. ITAC is the lead organization tasked with growing and promoting the Indigenous tourism industry across the country. Inspired by a vision for a thriving Indigenous tourism economy sharing authentic, memorable and enriching experiences, ITAC develops relationships with groups and regions with similar mandates to enable collective support, product development, promotion and marketing of authentic Indigenous tourism businesses in a respectful protocol.
For media requests:
Bojana Duric
tartanbond, on behalf of ITAC
647-271-2274
bojana.duric@tartanbond.com
Jovily Martone
tartanbond, on behalf of ITAC
416-319-8296
jovily.martone@tartanbond.com