A recent article in Indian Country Today talks about the Tourism Boom. The formation and success of the Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia, an umbrella group designed to promote tourism and help entrepreneurs develop and market new businesses, is an example of the strength in collaboration.
• In 2010, 3.7 million visitors included Aboriginal experiences on their itineraries and spent $40 million learning about and experiencing First Nations culture. This represents nearly 100 per cent growth since 2006.
• Today, there are more than 200 Aboriginal tourism businesses in BC, an 85 per cent increase over 2006, which together contributes $561 million in value added GDP.
• By 2017, British Columbia’s Aboriginal tourism industry is expected to contribute an anticipated $68 M to the economy.
In Sept, 2015 The Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia (AtBC) and the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA) hosted more than 200 delegates from around the world who attended the second Pacific Asia Indigenous Tourism & Trade Conference (PAITC) in Vancouver, BC. Ten countries from six continents were represented at the conference.
