Destination Indigenous’ Escape from Home campaign is making it easy for Canadians to plan a wilderness escape or urban adventure as a way to connect with ancient and modern Indigenous culture, right in their own backyards or via a short road trip.
CAN_Indigenous by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), each week’s escape theme will be promoted with regional itineraries as examples, to showcase the diversity of Indigenous tourism experiences available and open for business. As well, media influencers will be blogging and photographing their own recent Escape from Home adventures, providing invaluable insight into the experiences as they are today.
“With over 700 unique Indigenous communities across the country, we are excited to showcase to Canadian travellers how they can create their own escape from home that celebrates the historic and modern Indigenous culture of our land,” says Keith Henry, ITAC’s President and CEO. “With support from partners like Destination Canada, we have invested in a campaign that will highlight our members and resonate with Canadians as they explore urban and rural experiences through an Indigenous lens.”
WILDLIFE AND WILDERNESS EXPERIENCES
Wildlife viewing and wilderness Indigenous experiences across Quebec kicked off the campaign, and these additional wilderness experiences are also available across the country, with more information on the Destination Indigenous website:
Newfoundland and Labrador:
- Birding by Season
- Gros Morne Adventures
New Brunswick:
- Metepenagiag / Redbank Lodge
Quebec:
- Essipit Cruises
- Essipit Outfitter: Jimmy Lake Outfitters
Manitoba:
- Wat’chee Expeditions
- Wapusk Adventures
Alberta:
- Mahikan Trails
- Painted Warriors
- Jasper Tour Company
BC:
- K’awatsi Tours
- SeaWolf Adventures
- Sidney Whale Watching
- Coastal Rainforest Safaris
- Clayoquot Wild Whale Watch & Wildlife Tour
NWT:
- BucketList Tours
- Northstar Adventures
- B. Dene Adventures
View an inspiring itinerary here.
URBAN ADVENTURES
Urban Adventures across Vancouver are featured this week and similar cultural centres, food experiences and guided interpretive walks are also available in major cities across Canada:
Halifax:
- Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre
Quebec City:
- Restaurant La Sagamite
- Atelier-Boutique Atikuss
- Onhoüa Chetek8e Huron Traditional Site
- Musée Premières Nations
- Musée Huron-Wendat
Montreal:
- Musée des Abenakis
- Maison Amérindienne
- Host Hotel Kahnawake
- Espace Culturel Ashukan
- Miqmak Catering Indigenous Kitchen
Ottawa:
- Indigenous Walks
- Square Timber Brewing Company
Toronto:
- Oceah Oceah
- Tea-N-Bannock
- Native Art Gallery
Winnipeg:
- Feast Café Bistro
- Teekca’s Aboriginal Boutique
- Big Sand Lake Lodge
Calgary:
- Moonstone Creation
- Little Chief Restaurant
Edmonton:
- River Cree Resort and Casino
Vancouver:
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
Salmon n’ Bannock
Talaysay Tours
Takaya Tours
Mr. Bannock
Skwachays Lodge Hotel and Gallery
Victoria:
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- Sidney Whale Watching
- Salish Seaside RV Haven
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View an inspiring itinerary here.
While planning an escape with Indigenous experiences across Canada, ITAC recommends travellers understand the health and safety guidelines for travel within each province and territory, and travellers also check to ensure that the community they hope to visit is ready to welcome back local visitors.
About the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada
ITAC announced the launch of Destination Indigenous in June to encourage, highlight and educate travellers about the many Indigenous experiences that will welcome Canadians this summer. Through Destination Indigenous’ informative website and vacation planning tool (which includes maps and directions), intrepid travellers can explore and book:
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- wildlife and fishing excursions across Quebec;
- urban Indigenous tours within Canada’s major cities such as Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa & Halifax;
- guided adventures across BC & Alberta;
- northern Lights in NWT;
- unique Indigenous accommodations from art-filled hotels to glamping in the wilderness;
- deep dives into Indigenous culture and heritage sites;
- foraging for local ingredients and dining on Indigenous cuisine from top-trained Indigenous chefs.
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ITAC is the lead organization tasked with growing 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 other groups and regions with similar mandates. By uniting the Indigenous tourism industry in Canada, ITAC works to enable collective support, product development, promotion and marketing of authentic Indigenous cultural tourism businesses in a respectful protocol. Prior to 2020, Indigenous tourism was outpacing Canadian tourism activity overall, and international demand for Indigenous experiences was at an all-time high. ITAC works in partnership with Destination Canada to showcase Indigenous tourism across Canada to Canadian and international travellers.
Media release and image provided by Nicole Amiel, Beattie Group. If you would like to be featured on MyVanCity.ca please email myvancityval@nullgmail.com, features are complimentary.
