Speakers Announced for Pacific Asia Indigenous Tourism & Trade Conference

Coast Salish Territories (Vancouver, BC) – The Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC and World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA) have selected expert speakers and panellists to present at the second Pacific Asia Indigenous Tourism & Trade Conference – taking place Sept. 12 – 14, 2015 in Vancouver, BC.

Speakers for the second Pacific Asia Indigenous Tourism & Trade Conference include Pania Tyson-Nathan, CEO of New Zealand Maori Tourism; Keith Sproule, executive director for Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy; Carolina Peña Tondreau, National Tourism Service of Chile; Ben Sherman, chair of the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance; Chantz Strong, Destination Canada; Andrew Weins, TripAdvisor.com; Keith Henry, chair of the Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada; Juan Marambio, Travolution.org.; John King, Pacific Asia Travel Association; and Pamela Lanier, EcoGo.org.

Conference lectures, panels, and plenary sessions will examine topics such as: case studies for successful partnerships in Indigenous tourism, winning formulas in eco-cultural tourism, and best practices to work in the Pacific-Asia marketplace. Those interested in attending may register for the conference by visiting http://paitc2015.com/. Early bird registration pricing starts at $550 for small businesses ($330 for students) and is available before Aug. 7, 2015.

“We are excited to announce that representatives from Canada, the United States, Chile, Australia and New Zealand will be addressing conference attendees, providing insight into the growth of Aboriginal tourism,” says Keith Henry, CEO of Aboriginal Tourism BC, and host partner for the Pacific Asia Indigenous Tourism & Trade Conference. “Interest in Aboriginal tourism continues to expand on a global scale, and the tourism industry of British Columbia serves as an excellent catalyst for Aboriginal tourism products and experiences, helping to position our Aboriginal stakeholders as industry leaders.”

The host province of British Columbia is home to one third of Canada’s First Nations and the second largest Indigenous population and has experienced strong growth in Aboriginal tourism over the past decade. In 2010, 3.7 million visitors included Aboriginal experiences on their itineraries and spent $40 million learning about and experiencing First Nations culture. This represents nearly 100 per cent growth since 2006. Today, there are more than 200 Aboriginal tourism businesses in BC, an 85 per cent increase over 2006, which together contributes $561 million in value added GDP.

The second Pacific Asia Indigenous Tourism & Trade Conference will focus on the international opportunity for engagement and sharing by all peoples who have an interest in promoting, implementing and celebrating achievements in fostering Indigenous self-determination through participation in tourism. This focus is consistent with the principles of the Larrakia Declaration on the Development of Indigenous Tourism, which was adopted by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and endorsed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in 2012. It represents the most important statement of commitment from the tourism sector that it intends to take on an active role in giving practical effect to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

For more information, visit http://paitc2015.com/. Follow the conversation on social media through: #PAITC2015.

About WINTA

WINTA is an Indigenous-led global network of Indigenous and non-Indigenous interests that seek to give practical expression to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples through tourism. WINTA collaborates with Indigenous communities, tourism industry entities, states, and NGOs, which have an interest in addressing the aspirations of Indigenous peoples seeking empowerment through tourism and producing mutually beneficial outcomes.
WINTA undertakes tourism policy research, organizes tourism conferences and workshops, and provides strategic destination consulting services.

About Aboriginal Tourism BC

The Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia (AtBC) is a non-profit, Stakeholder-based organization that is committed to growing and promoting a sustainable, culturally rich Aboriginal tourism industry. Through training, information resources, networking opportunities and co-operative marketing programs, AtBC is a one-stop resource for Aboriginal entrepreneurs and communities in British Columbia who are operating or looking to start a tourism business. AtBC works closely with tourism, business, education and government organizations to help BC’s Aboriginal tourism businesses offer quality experiences and actively promotes these experiences to visitors and local residents. www.aboriginalbc.com.

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Media contacts:

Brian Cant, Tartan Group: 250-592-3838, 250-888-8729 (cell) or brian@tartangroup.ca
Paula Amos, Aboriginal Tourism BC: 604-803-4494 or paula@aboriginalbc.com

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