Adapting the tourism development approach to the Aboriginal context

The mandate of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) is to support and develop tourism as a strategic economic sector in Atlantic Canada. Tourism represents an opportunity for First Nations who aspire to self-determination in their economic development and who want to discover their traditions and their territory. Research shows a growing demand for Indigenous cultural experiences at the same time as communities are rediscovering their own heritage and beginning the slow process of reconciliation with non-Indigenous people. A recent observation emerged: the tools offered, such as the Accelerated Market Readiness Program (PPAM) that Touriscope has conducted several times, are not always applicable in their cultural, economic and political context. ACOA therefore called on experts to come up with recommendations to adapt these programs.

Touriscope collaborated with ATN Consulting, Tulle Consulting, and Evitan Consulting while respecting indigenous culture and the principles of sustainable development. Indeed, the team shared a deep belief that its role was to listen and facilitate the development of deliverables that embody the wisdom and expertise of Indigenous participants.

The following steps have been carried out:

- Documentary research
- A study of comparable researchers elsewhere in Canada and Australia
- Interviews with aboriginal tourism leaders and operators in Atlantic Canada.

The implementation team then evaluated the tools and programs in light of the main conclusions drawn from the previous steps. However, the objective was to produce recommendations on the approach to be adopted, rather than redesigning the tools themselves.

A holistic vision made it possible to make recommendations on the best ways to support communities in the development of authentic Aboriginal cultural tourism experiences. An approach adapted to the specific context of First Nations will be based on the following steps:

- Building trust
- Recognize the particular context of indigenous communities and operators
- Building on existing levers and successes
- Support values and priorities specific to Aboriginal tourism
- Reimagining partnerships and building capacity
- Improve tools and programs
- Deepen knowledge through more research