EVENT REPORT2019 International Indigenous Tourism ConferenceNov 12-14, 2019 | Kelowna, British Columbia

Hosted on the traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx Nation in partnership with the Nlaka’pamux and Secwepemc nations.

Table of ContentsSummary .............................................................................3

Partners ...............................................................................4

About the Logo ..................................................................6

3-Day Agenda ....................................................................7

2019 ITAC Indigenous Tourism Awards ...................... 10

Indigenous Cultural Content at IITC 2019 .................. 11

Engagement During Conference ................................. 12

Feedback from Delegates ............................................. 15

Financials ......................................................................... 16

Recommendations for IITC 2020 in Winnipeg ........... 18

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SummaryThe International Indigenous Tourism Conference (IITC) is an annual conference bringing together people interested and invested in creating and contributing towards a growing Indigenous tourism industry in Canada and around the world. This year, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) hosted the 8th annual International Indigenous Tourism Conference. The IITC 2019 took place on Syilx Territory in partnership with the Nlaka’pamux and Secwépemc nations on November 12, 13 and 14, 2019 in Kelowna, British Columbia.

This international event has been successfully hosted by ITAC and delivered through the partnership of the various regional Indigenous tourism organizations for the past seven years, having already been delivered in British Columbia, Québec, Nova Scotia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. The 2019 IITC in Kelowna, BC exceeded expectations with sold out success and brought together Indigenous tourism operators from across Canada and around the world for three days of sharing best practices and networking. Over 700 delegates participated in panel discussions, breakout sessions, keynote presentations and local cultural experiences.

I was personally inspired by the passion, motivation, and positivity of everyone at the conference. There was a lot of talk about transformational tourism and the atmosphere at this conference leaves no doubt in my mind ... Indigenous Tourism has a very bright future ahead. Thank you for sharing all of the wonderful stories and facilitating the learning, connecting, laughing, and inspiring.

- Mike Benedek, TRIPHERO Travel Network Inc.

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PartnersITAC is proud to have hosted the 8th International Indigenous Tourism Conference in Syilx Territory in Kelowna, British Columbia. We would like to thank committee members from Westbank First Nation, Shuswap Nation Tribal Council, Shackan Indian Band, Upper Nicola Indian Band, Lower Nicola Indian Band, Tourism Kelowna, Indigenous Tourism BC and the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association for their contributions to this event as well as Destination Canada, Parks Canada and Tourism HR Canada for being event partners.

Host Nations

Steering Committee

Event Partners

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EVENT SPONSORS

Platinum

Gold

Silver

CaribooChilcotinCoast

BC

Bronze

Digital Marketing. Simplified

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About the LogoThe 2019 logo, with sagebrush leaves in the centre, was created by the IITC Host Committee. It is designed to reflect the three Indigenous nations within the Thompson Okanagan region as well as the three cycles of sage growth in this all-season destination. It also represents a commitment to Indigenous tourism for past, present, and future generations.

The logo tells a story that supports the conference theme “Inspire. Transform. Unite. Accelerating Indigenous tourism growth.” The circle represents unity – a commitment of many partners coming together to present the International Indigenous Tourism Conference “Way xast sxlxʕalt, the people of the Syilx, Nlaka'pamux and Secwépemc Nations welcome you to the 2019 IITC hosted on the traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx Nation.”

• There are three parts of sage, a piece for each of the Indigenous Nations in the Thompson Okanagan region

• The three pieces are also representative of the 3 cycles of sage growth and represent tourism to past, present and future generations

• Sagebrush is sacred to the Nations in the Thompson Okanagan region for many reasons including ceremonial, medicinal, spiritual, and nutritional values

• The hand-like shape of the sage indicates that it is ready to harvest

• In the centre of the logo, you will see that “Kelowna” is written in blue. The blue colour is representative of water. Water is the most life sustaining gift on Mother-Earth and is the interconnection among all living beings. Water sustains us, flows between us, within us, and replenishes us

• The colours of the logo are a nod to the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association and are a visual representation of the many colours that appear in the landscape of the region through the seasons

My highlight to the conference was that peoples voices were heard! They were able to speak out about their concerns of the environment and their culture. Having people from all over the world be present or from afar may relate to the concern and encourage them to move towards those ways of practice. #Inspire #Transform #Unite

– Levi Eegeesiak, Parks Canada

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3-Day AgendaNOV 12: CULTURAL TOURS & WELCOME RECEPTION (PRE-CONFERENCE DAY)Cultural ToursDelegates of IITC were invited to choose from three cultural tours with one of our host nations including the Nlaka'pamux Cultural Tour, Secwépemc Cultural Tour or the Sylix Cultural Tour. All three tours included cultural components and included lunch.

The 2019 IITC had record attendance to the three cultural tours with 460 participants.

• Nlaka'pamux Cultural Tour – This tour takes you west towards the town of Merritt. The first stop is at the Lower Nicola Community Hall where you will experience a traditional cultural program. The next two stops in the Merritt area are at the Kekuli Café and the Nlaka’pamux Creations Store.

• Secwepemc Cultural Tour – This tour journeys north towards the city of Enderby. The Splatsin community is adjacent to the City of Enderby to the south and across the Shuswap River to the east. Within the Splatsin Community Centre, you’ll be greeted by traditional welcome songs and protocol, followed by storytelling from the “Legend of Coyote.” The Animal Transformations Legend of the Shuswap performance from the community of Kamloops is sure to provide an inspirational and educational segment to the morning’s activities. There will also be a closing ceremony and a friendship dance performed.

• Syilx Cultural Tour – This tour takes you south towards Penticton. The first stop is at the Sncewips Heritage Museum which is operated by the Westbank First Nation and showcases all that the Sqilxw people from this area have to offer. After a cultural performance by members of the Westbank First Nation community members, the tour departs for Penticton. Upon arrival at the En’owkin Centre, you will be provided with a tour of the facilities and a hands-on review of the cultural programming provided at the centre.

ITAC Annual General Meeting• Attended by 23 ITAC Voting Members, 12 ITAC Non-Voting Members, 6 Observers and 9 ITAC

Team Members

• Agenda included financial reporting, board elections and a summary of ITAC projects and programs

Welcome Reception• Attended by 660 Delegates

• Featured Indigenous culinary stations with samples of a variety of traditional and modern cuisine from some of Canada’s top Indigenous Chefs, including Bill Alexander, Christa Bruneau-Guenther, Joseph Shawana, Marie-Cecile (Cezin) Nottaway and Paul Natrall

• Delegates were able to experience an inspiring fashion showcase of authentic Indigenous designs from across Canada, when 4 talented designers presented their interpretations of the traditional looks of their nations

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NOV 13 – 14: INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS TOURISM CONFERENCEThe International Indigenous Tourism Conference featured a range of presentations, keynote speakers, breakout sessions and panel discussions. Delegates were also invited to attend the ITAC Industry Awards Gala.

The agenda was aligned with ITAC’s four strategic pillars:

• Leadership – Presentations included a keynote of ITAC’s Acceleration Strategy from Keith Henry (President & CEO of ITAC), Sébastien Desnoyers-Picard (Director of Marketing at ITAC) and Teresa Ryder (Director of Business Development at ITAC), which highlighted ITAC’s achievements in the past year, including updates on key performance indicators and new video releases.

• Development – Updates on ITAC’s development activities at a territorial and provincial level as well as the microgrant program. A culinary panel shared the new culinary strategy with the Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations. ITAC committed to leading Indigenous tourism development both domestically and internationally. Partnering with Tourism HR Canada, ITAC has developed an accredited system for understanding the development needs of individual businesses to support growth and identify opportunities. Delegates were given the choice of nine development breakout sessions:

� Working with Parks Canada

� Accessing Capital Tourism Export

� Accessibility in Tourism

� Best Practices in HR

� Women in Entrepreneurship

� Indigenous Tourism on the Rise: From Grassroots Start-Up to Export Ready

� Indigenous Culinary Tourism Development

� Developing an Indigenous Destination in the Thompson Okanagan

� Alberta Community Tourism Toolkit

• Partnerships – Panel discussions highlighted ITAC’s international partnerships and domestic partnerships to grow Indigenous tourism. New partnerships with Westjet, Indigeno Travel, CANDO and the Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations (ICAN).

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• Marketing – Delegates were provided with an update on ITAC’s marketing programs, the launch of ITAC’s new annual magazine Nations, and were invited to share the National Directory of Artists, Chefs, Performers and Storytellers. Delegates were then invited to participate in nine breakout sessions:

� Getting the Most out of Your ITAC Membership

� Digital Marketing that Sticks

� Working with Travel Trade

� Learn How to Package/Price

� Public Relations & Media: The Power of Story Sharing & Working with the Media

� The Canadian Signature Experience Program: Should you business apply?

� Photography 101 & Creating Content

� Partnering to Expand your Marketing Dollars

� Cooperative Management at Gwaii Haanas: A Look Behind the Scenes

• Responding to feedback from IITC 2018, breakout sessions were carefully curated to bring relevant content to businesses of many operational levels

• Keynote Speaker’s included:

� Keith Henry, President & CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC); Sebastien Desnoyers Picard, Director of Marketing, ITAC; Teresa Ryder, Director of Business Development, ITAC

� Jordin Tootoo, Founder of Team Tootoo Foundation, First Inuk player in the NHL

� Mary Point, Indigenous Relations Manager, YVR; Anne Murray, VP Airline Business Development & Public Affairs

� Sarain Fox, Host of Future History on APTN, Anishinaabekwe Activist, Influencer, Performer & Dancer

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2019 ITAC Indigenous Tourism AwardsOn the evening of November 14, ITAC celebrated Indigenous tourism excellence in Canada at ITAC’s annual Indigenous Tourism Awards Gala. The event featured the presentation of national and BC-specific awards in several categories.

National Award Winners• Best Marketing Campaign: Vacances Essipit (QC)

• Most Improved Business: Site D’Interpretation Micmac de Gespeg (QC)

• Most Inspiring Cultural Ambassador: Levy Uttaq, Igloo Tourism (NU)

• Indigenous Adventure Award: Wikwemikong Tourism (SK)

• Inspiring Indigenous Culinary Award: Buffalo Point Lodge (MB)

British Columbia Award Winners • Customer Service Award: Sierra Hall, Spirit Bear Lodge (Klemtu, BC)

• Outstanding Indigenous Accommodations: The Lund Resort at Kla ah men (Lund, BC)

• Exceptional Outdoor Cultural Experiences: Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours (Campbell River, BC)

• Remarkable Indoor Cultural Experiences: St. Eugene Resort & Casino (Cranbrook, BC)

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Indigenous Cultural Content at IITC 2019• IITC logo inspired by the three host nations

• Conference opened with a Grand Entry of Indigenous leadership, non-Indigenous leadership, conference partners and sponsors

• Opening address from Grand Chief Stewart Philip, Chief Christopher Derickson (Westbank First Nation), Chief Jordan Joe (Shackan Indian Band), Lyle Letendre (BC Métis Federation), Frank Antoine (Chair, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association), Brenda Baptiste (Chair, Indigenous Tourism BC), Brenda Holder (Chair, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada), Colin Basran (Mayor of Kelowna) and Lisa Ballantyne (CEO, Tourism Kelowna)

• Indigenous tourism expert-led workshops where possible

• Taste of the Nations VIP event featured Indigenous chefs and Indigenous food from across Canada as well as an Indigenous fashion show with Indigenous designers

• Cultural tours highlighted local Indigenous tourism experiences

• Indigenous Marketplace featured 38 booths of artisans, crafters and Indigenous tourism operators

• Awards Gala featured Métis, Inuit and First Nation entertainment throughout agenda

• Indigenous Awards created by Janine Lott of Westbank First Nation

• Indigenous emcee, Tracey Kim Bonneau

• Indigenous gifts for speaker’s authentic Indigenous suppliers certified through the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association’s iArt Trailor

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Engagement During ConferenceSLI.DOSli.do is an audience interaction tool for meetings, event and conferences. It offers interactive Q&A, live polls and insights about the audience. Sli.do was used for IITC 2019 as a way to start conversations and as a way for delegates to interact with speakers and panelists.

Throughout the conference, Sli.do was used by 122 users, or 17% of delegates in attendance.

Delegates were able to ask questions and vote on other questions. This allowed speakers to see the moderated questions on the screen and respond to those that were performing well.

Sample Questions from delegates:

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SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT IITC delegates were active across social media channels during the conference and were encouraged to use #2019IITC for their social posting.

17,749Engagements

2019 2018 2017 2016

Twitter 855 1,691 1,617 442

Facebook 12,295 4,280 4,971 1,008

Instagram 4,596 2,229 579 13

LinkedIn 3 88 46 0

TOTAL 17,749 8,288 7,213 1,463

2019 2018 2017 2016

Twitter 41,466 82,707 43,227 17,243

Facebook 112,135 101,821 233,014 46,545

Instagram 76,069 31,461 0 0

LinkedIn 219 1,297 3,082 0

TOTAL 229,889 217,286 279,323 63,788

229,889Impressions

1,107Uses of the Hashtag

2019 2018 2017 2016

Posts 1,107 1,073 N/A N/A

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764New Follows

2019 2018 2017 2016

Twitter 51 73 90 27

Facebook 194 135 321 99

Instagram 504 37 86 0

LinkedIn 15 27 4 2

TOTAL 764 272 501 128

2019 2018 2017 2016

Twitter 130 118 122 43

Facebook 254 251 386 49

Instagram 73 37 7 13

TOTAL 457 406 515 105

457Comments & Messages Received

2,438Facebook Live Views

2019 2018 2017 2016

Views 2,438 N/A N/A N/A

14,891Impressions from Instagram Stories

2019 2018 2017 2016

Impressions 14,891 N/A N/A N/A

Being inspired to share our story the right way!

– Kalika Sinnett, Site d’interpretation Micmac de Gespeg

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Feedback from DelegatesSurvey respondents gave IITC 2019 an overall rating of 3.7/4, and 80% of respondents indicated that they would like to attend future International Indigenous Tourism Conferences.

Attendee BreakdownThis chart represents 704 conference delegates, which includes delegates and vendors. Among the International delegates were people from Australia, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, Taiwan and USA.

Respondents' LocationThis chart represents where the survey respondents are from.

Business TypesThis chart represents the types of organizations and businesses that were represented.

USA: 2.9%Yukon: 4.7%

Rest of Canada: 30.9%

International: 0.8%

Alberta: 8.6%

British Columbia: 52.2%

Individual: 21.2%

Indigenous-owned Tourism business: 28.8%

Other: 3.8%

Official Indigenous Representative: 16.7%

Non-Indigenous or Non-Government: 17.3%

Non-Indigenous Government or Agency: 12.2%

British Columbia: 42.3% Rest of Canada: 55.8%

USA: 1.9%

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FinancialsREVENUES 2019 Actual (Final)Regional Sponsorship $50,000

Sponsors $104,500*

Parks Canada $50,000

Tourism HR Canada $50,000

Destination Canada (DC) $60,000

2019 Delegate Registration Fees $370,608

Trade Show / Marketplace

In Kind (Pre-Paid) $13,500

Other (INAC)

TOTAL Revenue $698,608

EXPENSES 2019 Actual (Final)Community Representatives / Business Operators $0

Facility Rentals and Meeting Rooms $4,967

Welcome Room Drops $0

TOTN Welcome Reception $54,082

Alcohol / TOTN / Gala $15,705

Conference Programs $13,064

Cultural Protocol / Performance $7,300

AV / Staging / Tech Crew $46,263

Delta F&B Totals (excluding Welcome Reception) $181,013

Marketing, Website, Graphic & Printing $59,733

Speaker Costs (including Travel) $43,497

Cultural Tours $18,491

Event Transportation $14,727

ITAC National Board Members (Travel, Hotel) $30,661

Media Relations $11,997

ITAC Event Team Costs $88,316

Tourism Awards $12,786

Photography / Videography $17,940

Partners Summit $2,569

ITAC AGM / Staff Meeting $9,396

TOTAL Expenses $632,506

NET GAIN/(LOSS) $66,102

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*SPONSOR BREAKDOWN 2019 Actual (Final)Ottawa Tourism $25,000

Destination BC $10,000

Travel Manitoba $10,000

Centenial College $10,000

Know History $10,000

Tourism Kelowna $7,500

TIAC $5,000

Travel Alberta $5,000

Destination Greater Victoria $5,000

CCCTA/TAVI/NBC $5,000

Tourism Kamloops $2,500

TIABC $2,500

Tourism Nova Scotia $2,500

The Update Company $2,500

Spirit Bear Coffee $1,000

Mobilize $1,000

TOTAL Sponsor Revenue $104,500

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Recommendations for IITC 2020 in Winnipeg• Investigate a platform for delegates to network, access agenda and special events throughout the

conference

• Less breakout sessions targeted to various levels of development (responding to this year having too many options for delegates to participate in)

• Increase Sli.do and online engagement by adding more AV

• Continue to refine the agenda to increase the number of international speakers, and include topics like sustainability

• Continue to improve operations of conference delivery

• Investigate inclusion of cultural awareness training / working with Indigenous partners for non-Indigenous attendees to broaden their knowledge

• Improve awards program and evaluate the awards categories to reflect the breadth of the Indigenous tourism industry

• Continue to include cultural programming representing diverse Indigenous populations in Canada throughout the agenda

• Continue to include cultural tour, but focus on smaller groups for better guest experience

• Improve language services for non-English speaking delegates

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