National Aboriginal Tourism Research Project 2015
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NATIONAL ABORIGINAL TOURISM RESEARCH PROJECT 2015 Economic Impact of Aboriginal Tourism in Canada April 2015 O’Neil Marketing & Consulting Beverley O’Neil, Dr. Peter Williams, Krista Morten, Dr. Roslyn Kunin, Lee Gan Brian Payer Economic Impact of Aboriginal Tourism in Canada 2015 About ATAC ATAC was borne from industry leaders that were involved with Aboriginal Tourism Team Canada (ATTC). First, ATAC operated as an informal group under the name the Aboriginal Tourism Marketing Circle (ATMC), then in summer 2014, formerly established as Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada. Over 20 Aboriginal tourism industry organizations and government representatives from across Canada are party to ATAC by signatory to a 2002 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Through a unified Aboriginal tourism industry voice, ATAC focuses on creating partnerships between associations, organizations, government departments and industry leaders from across Canada to support the growth of Aboriginal tourism in Canada. The Advisory Committee Great Appreciation to the project Advisory Committee members: Keith Henry, Aboriginal Tourism Assn of BC (AtBC) (Chair) Carole Bellefleur, Tourisme Autochtone Québec Patricia Dunnet, Metepenagiag Heritage Park Trina, Mather-Simard, Aboriginal Experiences Jeff Provost, Eastside Aboriginal Sustainable Tourism Inc. Dana Soonias, Wanuskewin Heritage Park Special Thanks Much appreciation and thanks to the project funder – Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. The Project Team The project team was led by O’Neil Marketing & Consulting, a fully owned Aboriginal consulting business. The principle, Beverley O’Neil is a citizen of the Ktunaxa Nation and has more than 25 years in Aboriginal community economic development, tourism and research. The project team consisted of Beverley O’Neil (Contract/Lead), Dr. Peter Williams, Krista Williams, Dr. Roslyn Kunin, Lee Gan, and Brian Payer. Dr. Peter Williams has authored research papers worldwide on tourism; while R. Kunin & Associates, Inc., is a leader in forecasting economic impact of tourism, First Nations businesses, and major international events. O’Neil / Williams / Morten / Kunin / Gan / Payer | ii Economic Impact of Aboriginal Tourism in Canada 2015 ABORIGINAL TOURISM ASSOCIATION OF CANADA (ATAC) NATIONAL ABORIGINAL TOURISM RESEARCH 2015: Economic Impact of Aboriginal Tourism in Canada Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................... ix INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction and Background .................................................................................................................... 2 PART 1: PRIMARY RESEARCH ............................................................................................................................ 6 2 Aboriginal Tourism Operator Survey Responses ..................................................................................... 7 2.1 Aboriginal Tourism Businesses Profile ................................................................................................ 7 2.2 Ownership ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 2.3 Cultural Experiences .................................................................................................................................. 9 2.4 Marketing Characteristics ..................................................................................................................... 10 2.5 Market Characteristics ........................................................................................................................... 12 2.6 Business Operating Characteristics................................................................................................... 13 2.7 Growth Prospects and Challenges .................................................................................................... 14 3 Travel Trade Aboriginal Tourism Survey Perspectives .......................................................................... 16 3.1 Travel Trade Operators Profile ............................................................................................................ 16 3.2 Extent of Aboriginal Cultural Inclusion ........................................................................................... 16 3.3 Aboriginal Cultural Tourism Competitiveness ............................................................................. 17 3.4 Aboriginal Cultural Tourism Demand .............................................................................................. 17 3.5 Future Strategies ..................................................................................................................................... 18 4 Interviews .................................................................................................................................................. 19 4.1 Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada Member Interviews ............................................ 19 4.2 Key Government Informant Interviews ........................................................................................... 21 4.3 Barriers ......................................................................................................................................................... 22 4.4 Opportunities ............................................................................................................................................ 24 PART 2: INDUSTRY RESEARCH ........................................................................................................................ 26 O’Neil / Williams / Morten / Kunin / Gan / Payer | iii Economic Impact of Aboriginal Tourism in Canada 2015 5 Global Tourism Industry ........................................................................................................................... 27 5.1 Canadian Tourism Industry .................................................................................................................. 27 5.2 Market Profiles .......................................................................................................................................... 29 5.3 Barriers to Growth ................................................................................................................................... 36 6 Aboriginal/Indigenous Tourism ............................................................................................................... 38 6.1 The Aboriginal Tourism Industry (Supply) ..................................................................................... 38 6.2 Demand Side (Consumer Summary) ................................................................................................ 51 6.3 Canada’s Aboriginal / Indigenous Tourism Competition ......................................................... 55 6.4 Constraints, Issues and Barriers .......................................................................................................... 61 6.5 Opportunities ............................................................................................................................................ 62 7 Case Studies in Aboriginal Tourism ......................................................................................................... 63 PART 3: ECONOMIC IMPACT ............................................................................................................................ 65 8 Valuing Economic Impact of Canada’s Aboriginal Tourism Sector ....................................................... 66 8.1 Defining the Aboriginal Tourism Sector ......................................................................................... 66 8.2 Quantifying the Economic Impact of Aboriginal Tourism Sector .......................................... 68 8.3 Analyzing the Economic Impact of Aboriginal Tourism ........................................................... 75 8.4 Summarizing the Economic Impact of Aboriginal Tourism Sector ....................................... 78 PART 4: REGIONAL PROFILES .......................................................................................................................... 80 9 Regional Profiles ....................................................................................................................................... 81 9.1 British Columbia ....................................................................................................................................... 81 9.2 Alberta ......................................................................................................................................................... 85 9.3 Prairies – Saskatchewan and Manitoba ........................................................................................... 88 9.4 Ontario ........................................................................................................................................................ 92 9.5 Quebec ........................................................................................................................................................ 96 9.6 Atlantic/Maritimes ...............................................................................................................................