Indigenous Tourism Alberta gets funding commitment to support its work

Travel Alberta has renewed a partnership deal with Indigenous Tourism Alberta (ITA). The deal was announced May 25 and will provide ITA with an $8.2 million investment over the next four years to support its new four-year strategic plan. The plan will help more than 200 Indigenous-owned businesses across the province.

“We're very happy that we were able to announce this,” said Chelsey Quirk, ITA’s chief executive officer. “Travel Alberta has been a fantastic partner for us.”

In recent years, Travel Alberta has provided $2 million annually to support ITA. 

For 2026-27 of the renewed agreement, Travel Alberta will provide $2 million in direct support and an additional $200,000 of in-kind assistance. This will then be followed by $2 million of yearly support until 2030.

Quirk said she was never worried that Travel Alberta would not continue to provide funds.

“We've had this ongoing relationship with Travel Alberta for a number of years,” she said. “And being able to have that long-term consistent funding is essential for our operators.”

Quirk said ITA representatives keep in close contact with Travel Alberta officials. Travel Alberta reps were notified ITA was launching a new strategy running to 2030 and were asked to align a partnership with that strategy for long-term consistent programming.

“Travel Alberta came to the table and said ‘Absolutely, we understand that’,” Quirk said. It allows ITA to go to federal counterparts and show them that ITA has that long-term commitment.

Quirk said federal funding news could be forthcoming.

“I would say we're working on it,” she said. “We're in funding agreements right now. We have current funding agreements with PrairiesCan (Prairies Economic Development Canada) and Indigenous Services Canada.”

ITA’s funding agreement with PrairiesCan comes up for renewal next year. 

“So, we are in those conversations right now about what a new agreement will look like and having the Travel Alberta funding in place to 2030 will be helpful in those conversations,” Quirk said. 

The ITA/Travel Alberta financial partnership agreement is believed to be the largest of its kind between an Indigenous provincial/territorial organization and another travel association.

Indigenous tourism operators in Alberta will not necessarily be receiving money directly from ITA.

“We do micro grants when we're able to,” Quirk said. “But that isn't really the role of Indigenous Tourism Alberta. We provide the development programming and the marketing support as opposed to the granting support.”

Quirk said the ITA’s mission includes ensuring that its members are set up for success.

“So, when they go to apply for one of the grants, whether it be through Travel Alberta or another entity, that they are set up for success to apply for that grant, receive that grant and enact that grant in their business,” she said.

The actual support ITA can provide to its members varies. That assistance can be for organizations or Nations or communities that want to establish tourism projects or organizations that need to build out marketing plans. ITA provides support for websites or grant writing.

“Right now, with our new strategy, what we're going to be doing is going out to a variety of our members and doing assessments on where everyone is at, what they need,” Quirk said. “What we've learned through the engagement process with our strategy is that a one-size-fits-all programming, that is not what our Indigenous tourism is about.”

Quirk said tourism operators can be at different stages of their development and the experience that they're offering.

“So, we're going to be spending the next little while going out and having those really personal conversations with our members to find out what actual supports they need so that we can ensure that we're programming and helping them develop in the way that they want to develop,” she said.

David Goldstein, Travel Alberta’s president and CEO, said Indigenous-led tourism is at the heart of what makes Alberta a truly exceptional destination.

“The depth, authenticity and connection these experiences offer are unlike anything else in the world,” Goldstein said. “We are incredibly proud to partner with Indigenous Tourism Alberta to support the continued growth of this sector, ensuring it remains Indigenous-led, thrives in communities across the province and continues to inspire visitors from around the globe. We are committed to this partnership and to supporting Indigenous-led growth for years to come.”