Nov. 7 – 8, 2017 at Grey Eagle Resort, Tsuut’ina First Nation, Calgary, Alberta

July 25, 2017, Coast Salish Territories (Vancouver, BC) – The Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada (ATAC) will be hosting the 2017 International Aboriginal Tourism Conference (IATC) in partnership with the Tsuut’ina First Nation at Grey Eagle Resort near Calgary, Alberta, on Treaty 7 Territory.

Registration for the two-day conference is now open via IATC-Canada.ca. The sixth annual conference will be held from Nov. 7 – 8, 2017, 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, “Raising our Voices: Building economy through Indigenous tourism and community stories”. Indigenous tourism has the power to change perspectives, preserve culture, language, and community and provide our relatives with a platform to be the leading voice in reclaiming our space in history — both ancient and modern. Tourism can also be a key element of Indigenous economic development for Indigenous communities when led by the community itself. The Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada (ATAC) recognizes and supports Indigenous communities and entrepreneurs to lead the way in telling the stories of their people and land to visitors, and the IATC is one way ATAC brings tourism to the forefront of economic development portfolios.

The International Aboriginal Tourism Conference (IATC) is an annual conference bringing together people interested and invested in creating and contributing towards the Indigenous tourism industry. The IATC agenda will offer workshops on Indigenous tourism experience development, share Indigenous tourism industry research and marketing strategies, and present key strategies to support growing local capacity for First Nations communities.

Along with Tsuut’ina First Nation as the co-host, confirmed event partners include Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), Destination Canada, Parks Canada and the Government of Alberta. 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.

For more information on the 2016 International Aboriginal Tourism Conference, check out IATC-Canada.ca/2016.

About the Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada
The Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada (ATAC) works to improve the socio-economic condition of Aboriginal people through the provisions of economic development advisory services, tourism conferences, capacity development training and workshops, industry research, and information for Aboriginal tourism operators and communities within the 13 regions; 10 provinces and three territories of Canada. ATAC develops relationships with other groups and regions with similar mandates, uniting the Aboriginal tourism industry in Canada and works to enable collective support, product development, promotion and marketing of authentic Aboriginal cultural tourism businesses in a respectful protocol. The ATAC Board is made up of Aboriginal tourism industry representatives from each of the provinces and territories. www.aboriginalcanada.ca.

Media contacts:
Brian Cant, Tartan Group: 250-592-3838, 250-888-8729 (cell) or brian@tartangroup.ca
Keith Henry, ATAC: 604-639-4408 or k.henry@aboriginalcanada.ca