A new training program has launched to help tourism providers learn about Indigenous perspectives and explore their role in furthering reconciliation.
Available to non-Indigenous businesses and organizations in the tourism sector, the Certificate in Reconciliation for the Tourism Industry program is being delivered by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) in partnership with Legacy Bowes, a business advisory firm.
“The Certificate in Reconciliation for the Tourism Industry training program is delivered in a three-phase, hybrid model that blends in-person workshops with self-paced online learning,” ITAC explained of the initiative.
“The program provides a welcoming and inclusive space for participants to learn about Indigenous histories, cultures, and perspectives.”
ITAC is a national organization dedicated to marketing and developing Indigenous tourism experiences. More than 1,300 Indigenous tourism businesses and organizations across the country are members.
The new training program is a direct response to Call to Action #92 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report, which outlines recommendations on reconciliation for the business community.
Under that recommendation, corporate Canada is called upon to engage in meaningful consultation with Indigenous peoples, build respectful relationships, and get consent before proceeding with economic development projects, and to also provide Indigenous peoples with equitable access to jobs, training and education in the corporate sector.
The Indigenous tourism sector in Canada generated an estimated $3.7 billion in revenue in 2023, contributing $1.6 billion to the GDP and supporting roughly 34,700 jobs across the country.