Tourism businesses operated and owned by Indigenous communities make up one of the fastest growing sectors of Canada’s tourism industry.
Growth has been rapid since 2014 and today across the country, from Yukon to Prince Edward Island, there are around 1,900 unique experiences.
They offer visitors the chance to get to know the history, heritage and culture of Indigenous groups and their role in modern-day Canada.
The organisation tasked with growing and promoting the Indigenous tourism industry and ensuring member organisations are ready for international guests is the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), which is recognised as a global leader in Indigenous tourism development.
In addition, most provinces and territories also have their own regional association that oversee the development of Indigenous tourism operations.
“ITAC recognises that more travellers are interested in exploring the culture of Indigenous peoples and since 2014 we have strived to support and strengthen Indigenous tourism experiences throughout Canada,” said Keith Henry, ITAC’s President and CEO.
To ensure Indigenous tourism products are suitable for overseas visitors, ITAC has created a programme called ‘Original Original’ that profers a stamp of excellence to those who meet the required standards – and the process to obtain this is a rigorous one, explains Ryan Rogers, ITAC’s Communications Manager.
“The Original Original stamp reassures visitors that they can expect a quality tourism experience. It identifies businesses that have been assessed for quality and authenticity and have met three key criteria: that they are at least 51% Indigenous owned, are a business that embraces the values of Indigenous tourism, and are able to bring to market an export ready product.
“Once they pass, they can use the mark for marketing and on their website. Moreover, the mark inspires consumer confidence and helps travellers better identify genuine Indigenous tourism experiences,” adds Rogers.
The icon for the Original Original mark is two letter Os, one set within the other, which represents both the world and the cycle of life. At the centre of these circles is a fire symbol with a single flame divided into three parts, a distinction that represents each of the three groups of Indigenous Peoples in Canada: First Nation, Metis and Inuit.
Regions across Canada are working with Indigenous communities to preserve and present aspects of the area’s “Original” peoples. For example, in British Columbia the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA), together with Xwsepsәm Nation and Songhees Nation, has launched a collaborative’ ‘placemaking project’ to install Lәkwәŋәn artworks in downtown Victoria, aimed at “connecting residents and visitors to the area’s rich First Nations’ culture”.
Authentic experiences
Below is a selection of Indigenous owned products that travel agents can recommend with confidence.
Ahous Adventures, an eco and cultural tour company in Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia (BC), is owned and operated by the Ahousaht Nation. Its excursions include bear viewing and whale watching tours and a 90-minute boat ride to hot springs, where you get exclusive access to the waters that spring from the mountains and fill up little rock pools. Guests are accompanied by an Indigenous guide.
Knight Inlet Lodge is a fly-in wildlife viewing lodge in the Great Bear Rainforest in BC that is a partnership of five First Nations. The floating lodge is positioned for grizzly bear viewing and offers seasonal bear and maritime watching tours along with lodging and top cuisine. The bear population near the lodge is present year-round but peaks in the fall during the salmon run.
At Squamish Lil’at Cultural Centre in Whistler, BC, the signature tour, ‘What we Treasure’, is delivered by Cultural Ambassadors who share their own stories and first-hand cultural experiences. The tour is designed to connect visitors to artifacts and hear stories that give an overview of the past and present way of life of the Squamish and Lil’wat.
Also in BC, two nations have combined to offer one tour. Homalco Wildlife and Cultural Tours and Klahoose Coastal Adventures run grizzly bear viewing tours out of Campbell River (August-October).
Metis Crossing, about 90 minutes northeast of Edmonton, Alberta, launched in 2020 and regularly adds new attractions. Conceived and operated by Metis, Vision Hopes and Dreams Wildlife Park stands on the original lots of the Metis, along the North Saskatchewan river, which was one of their original trading routes.
Attractions include elk, bison and horses, a 40-room boutique lodge, star gazing pods – guests stay overnight to see Northern Lights – and a Beavers, Bison and People package which starts in Edmonton and travels to Elk Island National Park before reaching Metis Crossing. Cultural experiences including a walking tour with elders, beadwork and winter snowshoeing.
Located in Ste Genevieve, just outside Winnipeg, Manitoba, Borealis Beading shares Metis culture through the artwork of beading. The experience includes two-needle beading, finger weaving, quilting and learning about the cultural significance of beading to the Metis.
Operating the vast Albanol-Mistassini-and Waconichi Wildlife Reserve in Woconichi Lake, Quebec, Nibiischii Corporation blends Indigenous conservation values with a commitment to sharing the cultural traditions of the Cree Nation of Mistissini.
Three-, four- and five-night packages are offered and new for 2025 is snowshoeing, star gazing, storytelling, cultural experiences such as moose hide tanning, yoga and a ‘polar dip and sauna’.
Preserving traditions
At the Musée Huron-Wendat near Québec City the mandate is to teach the history, culture and arts of the Huron-Wendat people as well as other Indigenous nations through craft workshops, guided and audio tours and themed workshops.
The Site d’Interprétation Micmac des Gespeg in Gaspé, Québec, includes a replica of an historical camp and an interpretive site that allows visitors to explore the world of Mi’gmaq through four seasons. Described as a ‘place of exchange’, it promotes the preservation of Mi’gmaq traditions.
Wanuskewin Heritage Park in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is a National Historic Site that in Cree roughly means “Being at peace with oneself”. A historical site for over 6,000 years, visitors today can relive the stories of the people who came to hunt bison, gather food and medicines and escape the winter weather. There’s an interpretive experience and overnight accommodation at the outdoor Tipi Village, in four 18-foot Plains Cree style tipis.
Take a walk through 30 centuries of Mi’kmaq culture at Metepenagiag Heritage Park to experience a connection to one of New Brunswick’s oldest continuously operated inhabited communities. The Metepenagiag Interpretive Centre explains the cultural significance of the community through storytelling handed down through generations, then Mi’kmaw guides lead visitors to a firepit to hear more stories from tribe elders.
Wikwemikong Tourism on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, offers guided tours that introduce visitors to Anishinaabe culture. These include guided hikes, paddling tours storytelling and culinary experiences.
The annual Wikwemkoong Cultural Festival and Pow Wow is one of the most popular events on the island
On Baffin Island, Nunavut, local Inuit guides from Arctic Bay Adventures share their deep knowledge of the land and the sea as well as their culture in a multi-day experience that sees guests camping in a tent or igloo at the floe edge. Wildlife opportunities include narwhal whales, seals, birds and possibly even polar bears. They will also meet elders, dog sled and maybe even see the northern lights.
Situated in the centre of Gros Morne National Park, Gros Morne Adventures’ beachfront property is a base guests use for hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding and Zodiac adventures. It is common to see eagles and other wildlife on tours in Bonne Bay, Newfoundland. The company also offers an Indigenous cultural tour.
