Vancouver 2010

Golden Opportunity for Aboriginal Tourism

Anyone visiting Vancouver, Canada for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is certain to notice the extensive involvement of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples. In fact, the Games are being held on the traditional and shared territories of four of Canada’s First Nations.

Collectively known as the Four Host First Nations, the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh were active participants in preparing Vancouver’s bid for the Games. They have been recognized as official partners in the Games by the International Olympic Committee — a first for any indigenous group in Olympic history.

Beyond the opportunities that flow from being an integral part of the organization and staging of the Games, the visibility of the Four Host First Nations before a huge international audience may also translate into very good news for Canada’s growing Aboriginal tourism industry.

The industry is working to make sure that happens. Keith Henry, Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia, says the association has a 2010 Action Plan to ensure it makes the most of the international exposure the Games offer.

“Just having the Games in Vancouver is big, and when you combine that with the high profile of the Four Host First Nations and Aboriginal people and culture in general at the Games, this is really a once-in-a-lifetime marketing opportunity,” said Mr. Henry. “As an Association, we want to do everything we can to ensure our members get the maximum benefit.”

The Association’s efforts got a big boost in 2009, when Canada’s federal government contributed $5 million to support the ongoing implementation of the Association’s multi-year Aboriginal Cultural Tourism Blueprint Strategy. The federal investment came just two years after the province of British Columbia invested a similar amount in the province’s Aboriginal tourism sector.

With research showing that interest in the unique experiences offered by Aboriginal cultural tourism is growing, and the imminent arrival of thousands of visitors and journalists for the Winter Games, Mr. Henry says the timing of the federal government investment could not have been better. In his words, “It’s huge.”

The attractions offered by Aboriginal cultural tourism in British Columbia and right across Canada are as varied as the country itself — from paddling a kayak among magnificent Orca (killer whales) on the west coast to the awe-inspiring Aurora borealis (northern lights) in the Arctic and the spirit-refreshing union of traditional Mi’kmaq culture and natural landscape found in Nova Scotia’s Kejimkujik National Park.

For those who take ‘chilling out’ literally, the Inuit of northern Quebec will share with you the skills needed to deal with Mother Nature at her most cruel at the Northern Arctic Survival School and Training Centre. Along the Great Spirit Circle Trail in northeastern Ontario’s Sagamok region, Aboriginal cultural attractions range from wilderness eco-adventures to educational interpretive tours on majestic Manitoulin Island.

Although tourism in general has suffered during the global economic downturn, Mr. Henry sees a very bright future for Aboriginal cultural tourism. “Certainly, it’s a business and it’s important to the economic health of Aboriginal communities,” says Mr. Henry. “What’s different is the authentic Aboriginal cultural experience — it’s real. Our culture and traditions are thousands of years old, and I think people understand that the opportunity to share in that heritage is something special.”

For more information, contact:

Keith Henry KHenry@AboriginalBC.com
Ph: (604) 921-1070

Aboriginal Tourism British Columbia
http://www.aboriginalbc.com