July 24, 2019, Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Vancouver, BC – The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada is welcoming four new members to its full-time team as demand for Indigenous tourism continues to grow for experiences across the country.

Previously assisting ITAC’s marketing department in the summer of 2018, Ryan Rogers will now be ITAC’s new Marketing Coordinator. A proud member of the Musqueam Nation, Rogers will be assisting the Director of Marketing in achieving annual KPIs and will be focusing his work on travel trade (specifically in the Asian Markets), as well as managing media relations. His role will also include producing visual and written content for ITAC’s social channels and provincial coordinators. Rogers is set to graduate from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce and a specialization in marketing.

Also joining the marketing team is Angela Ryder, as the Industry Coordinator and Membership Support, while Melanie Bingham is on maternity leave. Under her 15-month contract, Ryder will be ensuring a smooth transition, while having the responsibility of delivering the next membership campaign. Amongst those tasks, Ryder will be responsible for managing ITAC’s new CRM, as well as the digital assets management system. She will also be of great support in the delivery of IITC 2019. Ryder is also from the Musqueam Nation and she is working towards finalizing her degree in Human Resources at BCIT School of Business.

Genevieve Huneault will be joining ITAC’s development team as the Development Coordinator. This new role has been created to support the delivery of the micro-grant program, the business audit program and providing overall support for the development department. Huneault has extensive experience in business support, training and mentoring, and developing sustainable tourism products. She currently holds a Bachelor of Tourism and Recreation Management Degree from Vancouver Island University and is working to complete her Masters in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia.

Stepping into the Finance Administrator and Booking role is Manpreet Kaur. Kaur recently graduated from Capilano University with a Business Management Post Baccalaureate Diploma. She then worked as an intern in ITAC’s finance department where she demonstrated a great capacity for finance-related tasks.

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, click here.

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Contacts:
Jenna Hickman, Beattie Tartan: (250) 592-3838, (250) 514-3480 (cell) or Jenna.Hickman@BeattieGroup.com
Keith Henry, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada: (604) 639-4408 or Keith@IndigenousTourism.ca