The Rise Project, spearheaded by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) and Tourism HR Canada will embark upon updating and transforming ITAC’s National Guidelines into a standards-based recognition framework for Indigenous tourism.

The Rise Project will ensure that the newly updated framework helps to address the demand for the development and marketing of Indigenous tourism businesses and experiences, which will aid in the sustainable growth of Indigenous tourism in Canada. The newly updated National Standards and Recognition Program will ensure that future planned Indigenous tourism products and services provide authentic experiences and recognize Indigenous tourism businesses, experiences, and entrepreneurs. This will provide many opportunities for expanding the market potential on the world stage as well as accelerating economic growth and the development of sustainable tourism offerings within Indigenous communities.

The Rise Project Team will build off its existing relationships with provincial/territorial Indigenous tourism bodies and their leaders to utilize valuable industry knowledge for the development of the new standards and recognition framework, which is anticipated to be completed in early 2020.

The Rise Project Team will be engaging ITAC’s membership and additional subject matter experts, which is a critical step in the stakeholder engagement process. Information on how you can share your thoughts with the project will be distributed in the coming weeks. We encourage you to participate and share your ideas on this important industry initiative.

You can learn more about the Rise Project directly from the Project Team once their initial contact is made. We also invite you to join us at the International Indigenous Tourism Conference where you can learn more about ITAC’s Rise Project. We will continue to keep you updated as the team works through their milestones. We thank you in advance for your support.