Membertou Trade & Convention Centre
Coast Salish Territories (Vancouver, BC) – The Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada (ATAC), will be hosting the fifth International Aboriginal Tourism Conference (IATC) in Sydney, Nova Scotia, attracting national and international thought leaders intent on growing Indigenous tourism globally.
The three-day conference will be held at the Membertou Trade & Convention Centre on Dec. 12 to 14, 2016, and will bring together delegates from First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities, as well as representatives from global Indigenous tourism organizations.
This year, the theme is, “Building Effective Partnerships for Indigenous Tourism,” and the conference will focus on strategies for building relationships and partnerships with non-government and government organizations, tourism marketing organizations, other tourism operators, and industry leaders.
The IATC agenda will offer workshops on Aboriginal tourism experience development, share Aboriginal tourism industry research and marketing strategies, and present key strategies to support growing local capacity for First Nations communities. In addition to supporting Atlantic tourism businesses through the conference, ATAC intends to provide attendees with multiple techniques to find beneficial and collaborative partnerships, with the ultimate goal of building capacity both nationally across Canada, broadening global networks, and sharing of best practices.
Confirmed conference partners include Destination Canada, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), Parks Canada, and Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). Other event supporters include the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance, Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), Adventure Travel Trade Association and other key tourism industry players confirming support in the coming weeks. This year’s speakers include representatives from the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia; Destination Canada; Tourism HR Canada; the Legacy Tourism Group; and Keith Henry, the CEO of ATAC. Invited Indigenous groups globally include representatives from the US, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia.