Destination Canada and ITAC have secured a $100,000 USD investment to boost Indigenous Tourism in Canada

Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), (Vancouver, BC) – September 26, 2023 - The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) and Destination Canada are announcing today they have secured a significant $100,000 USD investment from Expedia Group to help boost Indigenous tourism across Canada.

The investment marks a major milestone in advancing Indigenous tourism in Canada and supporting Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #92: calling upon the corporate sector in Canada to adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a reconciliation framework and to apply its principles, norms and standards to corporate policy and operational activities involving Indigenous peoples and their lands and resources.

“Thanks to Destination Canada and Expedia Group’s ongoing work and commitment to Indigenous Tourism, we are heading towards our shared-vision to make Canada the world leader in Indigenous tourism experiences,” said Keith Henry, President and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada. “By investing in Indigenous tourism businesses and communities across Canada, we’re able to move towards reconciliation together.”

Expedia Group’s contribution marks a major boost into ITAC’s newly established Indigenous Tourism Destination Fund (ITDF). Launched September 7th, ITDF offers a unique opportunity for travellers, Indigenous businesses and non-Indigenous companies to actively participate in and support Indigenous tourism development. The fund channels contributions into four critical areas: infrastructure, product development, workforce and marketing initiatives.

Aditi Mohapatra, Vice President, Global Social Impact and Sustainability, Expedia Group, said: “We are proud to be supporting such an important cause. The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada and Destination Canada’s work in championing and growing Indigenous tourism in Canada is exemplary and Expedia Group’s contribution is intended to help propel this work even further. As part of Expedia Group’s Open World™ social impact and sustainability strategy, we are committed to helping provide economic advancement for communities underrepresented in the travel industry, and this collaboration does just that.”

Destination Canada and Expedia Group’s partnerships align with ITAC’s ambitious vision to:

• Ensure Canada becomes a world leader in Indigenous tourism
• Raise $2.6 billion over seven years
• Accelerate the growth of Indigenous tourism to $6B by 2030

• Create 800 new Indigenous tourism businesses
• Generate an additional 21,000 jobs

This collaboration is a direct result of Destination Canada and Expedia Group’s strategic partnership that was created in 2019 with the shared belief that travel can be a powerful force for positive change, as well as Expedia Group’s commitment to creating a more inclusive industry. The alliance laid a strong foundation by bringing together all 13 provinces and territories, as well as national organizations like ITAC, with the goal of promoting Indigenous tourism on a global scale.

“Destination Canada on behalf of Team Canada and together with Expedia Group have a multi-year Joint Business Plan where we work together to help Canada stand out as a destination of choice for travel. We are so pleased to see our partners at Expedia Group’s tangible support for ITAC and the Indigenous Tourism Fund,” said Gloria Loree, Senior Vice-President, Marketing Strategy and Chief Marketing Officer, Destination Canada. “Only with meaningful and clear action, in tandem with our partners, can we truly support Indigenous tourism, and help Canada become a beacon of hope for other communities around the world.”

For more information on the Indigenous Tourism Destination Fund (ITDF), or to get involved, please visit https://indigenoustourism.ca/indigenous-tourism-destination-fund/

About Destination Canada

At Destination Canada, we believe that tourism enhances the wealth and wellbeing of Canadians and enriches the lives of visitors. Our mission is to influence supply and build demand for the benefit of locals, communities and visitors through leading research, alignment with public and private sectors, and marketing Canada nationally and abroad.  

​Knowing that diversity is our greatest asset, we promote Canada as a premier four-season leisure and business tourism destination around the country and world in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, United Kingdom and the United States. In addition, our Business Events team leverage in-depth global market analysis to target international clusters aligned with Canada's priority economic sectors. Destination Canada is a Crown corporation wholly owned by the Government of Canada. www.destinationcanada.com

About the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada

The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is a national non-profit Indigenous tourism industry organization established in 2015. ITAC is the lead organization tasked with growing and promoting the Indigenous tourism industry across the country. Inspired by a vision for a thriving Indigenous tourism economy sharing authentic, memorable and enriching experiences, ITAC develops relationships with groups and regions with similar mandates to enable collective support, product development, promotion and marketing of authentic Indigenous tourism businesses in a respectful protocol. Connect with ITAC on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About Expedia Group

Expedia Group, Inc. brands power travel for everyone, everywhere through our global platform. Driven by the core belief that travel is a force for good, we help people experience the world in new ways and build lasting connections. We provide industry-leading technology solutions to fuel partner growth and success, while facilitating memorable experiences for travelers. Our organization is made up of three pillars: Expedia Product & Technology, focused on the group’s product and technical strategy and offerings; Expedia Brands, housing all our consumer brands; and Expedia for Business, consisting of business-to-business solutions and relationships throughout the travel ecosystem.

The Expedia Group family of brands includes: Expedia®, Hotels.com®, Expedia® Partner Solutions, Vrbo®, Trivago®, Orbitz®, Travelocity®, Hotwire®, Wotif®, ebookers®, CheapTickets®, Expedia Group™ Media Solutions, CarRentals.com™, and Expedia Cruises™. One Key™ is our comprehensive loyalty program that unifies Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo into one simple, flexible travel rewards experience. To enroll in One Key, download Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo mobile apps for free on iOS and Android devices. For more information, visit www.expediagroup.com. Follow us on Twitter @expediagroup and check out our LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/expedia.