The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is proud to announce a new partnership with the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) in presenting a Canadian Tourism Award recognizing excellence in Aboriginal Tourism.

The 2014 National Aboriginal Cultural Tourism Award will recognize an Aboriginal tourism business that has demonstrated a commitment to the development, promotion and delivery of an authentic, innovative and enriched Aboriginal cultural tourism visitor experience.   The recipient will have demonstrated a commitment to authentic Aboriginal cultural tourism as a key aspect of encouraging and promoting tourism growth in their region.

Nominees will be judged on:

  1. Commitment to visitor satisfaction through delivery of quality and authentic “market ready” experiences as outlined in ATAC’s National Guidelines ( available on our website) (25%).
  2. Stimulation of tourism employment and economic activity in the host Aboriginal community (25%)
  3. Social/cultural impact in the community through the demonstrated promotion and advancement of Aboriginal culture (25%)
  4. Demonstrated innovation in the development and delivery of the experience (25%)

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada will be hosting their annual Tourism Congress in Ottawa on November 25-26, 2014 and the selected recipient will be presented this prestigious award at the Gala on November 26th.  All finalists will be publicly announced.  http://tiac.travel/cgi/page.cgi/awards.htm

Travel and accommodation will be covered for the Award recipient to attend the ceremony in Ottawa.

Please take the time to nominate a business offering an inspiring Aboriginal tourism product/experience in your region of Canada; self-nominations are also encouraged. Join us in celebrating the extra-ordinary and inspiring Aboriginal experiences from across Canada!

Accepting nominations NOW!  Please forward to Keith Henry, Chair of ATAC, KHenry@AboriginalBC.com or via fax at (604) 921-1072. Nominations close on Monday, September 21st at 5pm EST.

Please view our Aboriginal Cultural Experiences – National Guidelines HERE

Click here to download the application as a PDF.