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

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Research

Building British Columbia’s Mining Workforce

Regional assessments in the Cariboo and Northcoast/Nechako regions have identified logistical barriers to training, including housing shortages, childcare gaps, and geographic isolation. To address these issues, the research proposes a Workforce Development Accelerator Framework.
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Research

Digital Infrastructure for the Post-Pandemic World

This report examines the key components of Canada’s essential digital infrastructure system, highlights worrying inequalities that exist within this system, and offers recommendations on how to quickly reduce some of the most glaring obstacles that prevent many of those who would benefit the most from accessing training, education and employment opportunities digitally from doing so.
An individual stressfully holding their head up as they look at their laptop.
Project

Preparedness for Learning (Learner Shock)

In this pilot, project organizers assembled an advisory group, conducted a survey that included 943 participants and performed an environmental scan to inform the development of training modules for mid-career workers in Manitoba aged 18 years or older.
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