INVESTING IN INDUSTRY GROWTH
The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is working towards its 2030 Vision to become the global leader in Indigenous tourism. To make that vision a reality, ITAC has laid out an investment path that supports the required industry growth through investments in three priority areas:
Infrastructure & Destination Development
Building a Sustainable Tourism Workforce
Business Development and Promotion
Indigenous Tourism Destination Fund (ITDF) contributions will be invested into these three priority areas to support the growth of Indigenous tourism, providing direct economic benefits to Indigenous individuals, families, and communities.
For every $1,000 contribution, the following investments will be made:
$940
Infrastructure &
Destination Development
$10
Building a Sustainable
Tourism Workforce
$50
Business Development
& Promotion
Wondering how this money will be invested in your province or territory?
Use the links below to view the investment overview for your province or territory. You can also download all of them in a single PDF here.
Learn more about ITDF by reading the Frequently Asked Questions
Infrastructure & Destination Development
To meet the 2030 industry targets, visitor volume in Indigenous tourism must be increased significantly. The current inventory of Indigenous destinations in Canada must be enhanced and expanded to grow its capacity. To make this happen, ITAC will invest the following over six years:
$1.6B - Infrastructure Development
$300M - Indigenous Destination Development
$500M - Airport Indigenization
These investments will increase access to rural and remote destinations and will allow Indigenous communities to create cultural facilities to support tourism as well as the needs of their residents.
We have described for you a mountain. We have shown you the path to the top. We call upon you to do the climbing.
“
— The Honourable Murray Sinclair
”
Building a Sustainable Tourism Workforce
Indigenous tourism in Canada currently employs more than 39,000 people, and ITAC’s goal is to grow that to 60,000 by 2030. In partnership with Tourism HR Canada, ITAC plans to implement innovative recruitment, training and retention programs to ensure that the industry has the workers it needs.
$30M - Recruitment, Training & Retention
$1.5M - North American Indigenous Games Sponsorship
Business Development and Promotion
The number of Indigenous tourism businesses operating in Canada needs to grow by 800 by 2030. ITAC will cultivate the growth of these new businesses, as well as the expansion of existing businesses, through significant investments to increase participation in The Original Original accreditation program. Promotion of these businesses, both domestically and abroad, will also see significant investment, including new marketing partnerships.
$117M - Business Development and Promotion
$2M - 2026 FIFA World Cup Sponsorship