BC Business
For Indigenous tourism businesses in B.C. and across the country have struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, some relief is on the way.
For Indigenous tourism businesses in B.C. and across the country that have struggled during COVID-19, some financial relief is on the way.
Yesterday, as part of Budget 2022, the federal government announced that it is committing $24.8 million over two years to Indigenous tourism. That came as welcome news to the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, which is helping the industry it represents to rebuild and recover from the pandemic.
Like other tourism-related efforts, ITAC’s $65-million strategic recovery plan for 2022-25 wasn’t prioritized in the budget, the Vancouver-based organization noted in a release. However, ITAC highlighted three proposals from the feds to reduce financial pressure on Indigenous tour operators:
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“ITAC appreciates the federal government’s support for the Indigenous tourism industry as it tries to recover from COVID-19,” said Keith Henry, president and CEO of ITAC. “We acknowledge the hardships and resilience our communities have faced these past two years and know there is still a long road ahead, but rest assured that ITAC will work diligently with its partners to execute a meaningful and vigilant recovery plan.”