Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Vancouver, BC — The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is pleased to share that President and CEO Keith Henry recently attended the Rapa Nui Heritage Summit 2025, held November 24–26 on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

The summit, organized by the Ma’u Henua Indigenous Community and UNESCO, brought together Indigenous leaders, heritage experts and tourism industry representatives from around the world to mark the 30th anniversary of Rapa Nui National Park’s inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discussions focused on conservation, Indigenous governance and sustainable tourism development.

Henry’s participation was made possible through ITAC’s partnership with Destination Original International Tourism (DO-IT), a global collective committed to supporting the growth and awareness of Indigenous tourism worldwide. DO-IT team members Sebastien Desnoyers-Picard and JP Le Moigne played a key role in facilitating relationships on the ground and negotiating two new memoranda of understanding that will align Rapa Nui’s tourism development work with international Indigenous tourism networks.

Rapa Nui is a Polynesian Indigenous culture with deep connections to Hawaiian and Māori peoples. The island welcomes approximately 135,000 visitors annually, predominantly from international markets. With a permanent population of around 9,000 residents, the Rapa Nui people are working to ensure their community leads the development and marketing of Indigenous tourism experiences on their ancestral lands.

“This was a powerful week for building global Indigenous partnerships,” said Henry. “The Rapa Nui people have a strong desire to lead their own destination development while protecting their unique cultural identity. Through our work with DO-IT, we were able to create meaningful connections and we also strengthened our relationship with New Zealand Māori Tourism and the broader DO-IT network.”

As a result of the summit, ITAC has extended an invitation to Rapa Nui representatives to attend the International Indigenous Tourism Conference (#2026IITC), providing an opportunity to continue building relationships and sharing knowledge between Indigenous tourism leaders from around the world.