Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC)

The Northern Tourism Recovery Incubator developed by ITAC was created to support SMEs in Northern communities to strengthen their business, rebuild Indigenous tourism operators and re-train staff members to support visitors and public health expectations as the tourism industry recovers.

The needs of these businesses were assessed through a national accreditation program (Project Rise) which provided individual business assessments and aggregated data for ongoing support. By working with the Indigenous provincial and territorial partners, ITAC supported the effective delivery of regionally specific support to revitalize operators ahead of the 2023 operating season. Regional needs were considered as businesses reported through the accreditation program, recognizing that the gaps in one part of the country may not be the same as another. This coordinated effort aimed to increase tourism revenues and jobs by increasing Indigenous tourism products to meet visitor demands.

Aerial view of the airport. Airplane taxiing to runway.

Featured Projects

Project

Development of Canada’s National Occupational Standards for a Sustainable Blue Economy

Canada boasts the world’s largest coastline; however, its ocean-related industries contribute only 1% to the GDP, significantly trailing behind other nations. This project identified a pressing need for specialized training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to bridge the skills gap in ocean-related occupations in the sustainable blue economy (SBE), including marine transport and ocean technology.
person sitting on a blue couch with a laptop reads a book
Research

Creating Inclusive Campuses: Neuroinclusive Policies and Practices in Postsecondary Education

In this research, we report on the findings of the first national survey of neurodivergent postsecondary students and recent graduates as well as in-depth interviews with neurodivergent students and graduates, and staff and leaders working in accessibility services. 
Blue Rock fishing village in Nova Scotia
Project

AspireAtlantic

The AspireAtlantic program tested out the WorkAdvance model— a proven US workforce development strategy that uses a sector-based approach that combines job training, placement and advancement support for low-income individuals.
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