February 27 2019, Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Vancouver, BC— Indigenous Tourism shows significant growth as Canada exceeds 21.13 million visitors in 2018. According to Destination Canada, 2018 marked the first time the country saw more than 21 million visitors, making it the best year on record.
Aligned with this growth, Indigenous tourism in Canada rose 23.2 per cent between 2014 and 2017, going from $1.4 billion to $1.7 billion, and outpacing Canadian tourism activity overall which saw a 14.5 per cent increase, according to a recent study conducted by The Conference Board of Canada.
“Last year, one in seven visitors to Canada wanted to take part in Indigenous experiences,” said Keith Henry, president and CEO of ITAC. “International travelers are particularly important to Indigenous cultural tourism. We take great pride knowing people visiting Canada want to experience the many different cultures and experiences we have to offer.”
Click here to read the full research report by The Conference Board of Canada.
Click here to download the full Destination Canada report.
About Destination Canada
Destination Canada is a Crown corporation wholly owned by the Government of Canada. It uses data-driven marketing strategies to stimulate international demand and tourism export revenue for Canada in 10 countries: Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, the UK and the USA. Destination Canada campaigns are targeted to reflect individual market conditions and traveller interests. In collaboration with our tourism industry partners, it promotes Canada internationally as a premier four-season tourism destination. For more information, please visit www.DestinationCanada.com
About the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada
The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is a national non-profit and membership association focusing on creating partnerships between associations, organizations, government departments and industry leaders across Canada to support the growth of Indigenous tourism in Canada. ITAC publishes an annual experience guide, detailing Indigenous tourism experiences available for visitors across Canada. This year’s guide features more than 170 experiences, stories and businesses to inspire you to visit and learn more about the many Indigenous nations, peoples and communities across Canada. To download the full 2018/19 Guide to Indigenous Tourism in Canada go to: https://IndigenousTourism.ca/corporate/indigenous-tourism-experience-guide/.
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Media contacts:
Jenna Hickman, Beattie Tartan: 250-592-3838 or Jenna.Hickman@BeattieGroup.com
Keith Henry, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada: 604-639-4408 or Keith@IndigenousTourism.ca
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