With many COVID-weary travellers looking for domestic holiday options this summer, Canadians are being invited to discover something that international visitors have known for years – that this country boasts a rich indigenous culture and history that is easily discovered.
“Escape from Home” is a new campaign launched by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) featuring a series of “Destination Indigenous” itineraries that encompass a range of authentic experiences that connect travellers to Indigenous people, their culture and the land.
They include wildlife and fishing excursions across Quebec; urban Indigenous tours within Canada’s major cities such as Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax; guided adventures across BC and Alberta; Northern Lights in NWT; unique Indigenous accommodations from art-filled hotels to glamping in the wilderness; deep dives into Indigenous culture and heritage sites; and foraging for local ingredients and dining on Indigenous cuisine from top-trained Indigenous chefs.
“Through strong imagery, video, and storytellers, Destination Indigenous is putting a focus on this resilient sector of the tourism industry, while delivering an emotional experience that flows from our grounding with the natural environment and our desire for meaningful connections,” says ITAC president and CEO Keith Henry, who adds, “We invite all Canadians to discover the rich Indigenous history within their own communities, provinces and territories.”
The program is designed to highlight and educate travellers about the many Indigenous experiences that are welcoming Canadians this summer. They are detailed on the Destination Indigenous website along with vacation planning and booking tools (including maps and directions).
The Escape from Home campaign is being promoted digitally and features storytellers who travel across the country providing first-person accounts of their Indigenous journeys.
“Our Indigenous tourism members are excited to welcome Canadians and proud of the travel experiences they have been offering for many years. ITAC has worked hard to ensure they have the resources to operate with the highest health and safety standards possible, and we are honoured to share our culture during a time when sharing and supporting our local communities is so important,” says Henry.
While planning an escape with Indigenous experiences across Canada, ITAC recommends travellers understand the health and safety guidelines for travel within each province and territory, and travellers also check to ensure that the community they hope to visit is ready to welcome back local visitors.
Prior to 2020, Indigenous tourism was outpacing Canadian tourism activity overall, and international demand for Indigenous experiences was at an all-time high.
ITAC, the lead organization tasked with growing the Indigenous tourism industry across the country, works in partnership with Destination Canada to showcase Indigenous tourism across Canada to Canadian and international travellers.
Visit the website HERE.
THE TRAVEL CORPORATION
Another advocate of Indigenous travel is the Treadright Foundation, a non-profit initiative established by The Travel Corporation’s family of brands (Trafalgar, Insight, Contiki).
The foundation has released a short film featuring its ‘People’ Ambassador, Sarain Fox (Anishinaabe) who highlights the critical role that Indigenous stories and knowledge play in truly appreciating a place and its people, especially in Canada.
Set in Ottawa, unceded Algonquin, Anishinabek territory, the short film highlights The Canadian Museum of History on the banks of the Ottawa River, which was originally a place of trade for hundreds of Indigenous Nations.
Featured is an interview with Roberta Anderson, a Cree elder and moccasin maker who teaches at the Manitobah Mukluks Storyboot School in Toronto. “[Mukluk and moccasin making] is who we are, it’s what we represent,” she says.
“It’s important that we keep our traditions and our culture alive, but also Indigenize the new modern times that we’re going into so that we can continue to share our stories with future generations,” says Theland Kicknosway, (Cree, Potawatami,) an Indigenous singer, dancer and youth advocate also featured in the video.
Overall, TreadRight and Sarain Fox’s goal is to encourage responsible travel that will have positive impacts on the lands they visit.
“I encourage travellers to seek the truth about the lands they visit and engage in genuine experiences that respect and nurture the cultures that exist there,” says Fox. “Try to find the history of the place you call home. Perhaps there’s a story that’s been erased or a thriving culture, pulsing just under the surface.”
Watch the video on TreadRight’s YouTube channel.