By Matteo Cimellaro, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter CANADA91裸聊视频橲 NATIONAL OBSERVER

In 2018, Joe Bailey was running a successful tourism business showing guests the colourful Aurora Borealis. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic locked down the Northwest Territories.

The territory was shut off from the rest of the world for two years, which meant no revenue for Bailey91裸聊视频檚 business, NorthStar Adventures, except government funding.

His business received some federal grants, but the territorial government waited more than a year before dispensing funds to struggling operations.

Now, four years later, Bailey has had to sell almost all his assets, including five vans and 12 snowmobiles, hobbling his business for the foreseeable future. Coming out of the pandemic, the once-thriving adventure company was left with only one van. But now, more domestic visitors are arriving to see the northern lights again.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e in rebuilding mode, with a very slow tour season,91裸聊视频� said Bailey. 91裸聊视频淪o we91裸聊视频檙e definitely nowhere near the numbers before COVID91裸聊视频� but it really forced us to be much more savvy with our business decisions and our business practices.91裸聊视频�

Indigenous tourism businesses faced barriers accessing government support over the pandemic, despite suffering from 91裸聊视频渄isproportionately negative impacts91裸聊视频� of the travel restrictions and economic chaos of that time, according to internal documents obtained by Canada91裸聊视频檚 National Observer through access-to-information legislation.

Internal documents from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada reveal that Indigenous tourism faced difficulties even though Ottawa has celebrated its pandemic-era business support as a 91裸聊视频減owerful tool91裸聊视频� in Canada91裸聊视频檚 reconciliation efforts.

Statistics from the pandemic show that Indigenous tourism was harder hit than the rest of the sector. The Indigenous tourism industry saw an estimated 65.9 per cent decline in direct GDP and a 59.4 per cent drop in employment in 2020 due to the pandemic, according to numbers from ITAC that were quoted in the internal documents. By comparison, tourism GDP as a whole declined 50.1 per cent and total employment declined by 21.1 per cent that same year.

Indigenous tourism had difficulties meeting the federal program91裸聊视频檚 financial requirements, and faced challenges with program applications and eligibility requirements that may disproportionately exclude Indigenous businesses, such as unincorporated, community-owned and non-taxable businesses, the internal documents show.

Bailey also points to a discrepancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses.

For example, Indigenous businesses need more professional support getting into the industry, Bailey explained.

91裸聊视频淚ndigenous entrepreneurs are at a disadvantage,91裸聊视频� Bailey said. 91裸聊视频淪o funding and programs for the first timers would go a long way to help grow and succeed Indigenous tourism in Canada.91裸聊视频�

During the pandemic, tourism businesses across Canada were devastated, said Keith Henry, president and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), but Indigenous businesses were the 91裸聊视频渉ardest of the hardest hit.91裸聊视频�

Their smaller scale in rural and remote locations, which became more difficult to access, made Indigenous operations particularly vulnerable.

Darcie Guarderas, director and client strategist for Tansi Tourism Solutions, often works with Indigenous tour operators on a one-on-one basis. She had a call with another Indigenous business owner in the Northwest Territories whose operation didn91裸聊视频檛 survive the pandemic, even though it was at its peak.

91裸聊视频淗e wants to get back to what he91裸聊视频檚 doing because he has the passion for it, but they need more support,91裸聊视频� Guarderas said, noting that many operators leave the industry for more steady work.

91裸聊视频淲hen you91裸聊视频檙e a small business with not a lot of funding, you know, the pandemic just crushed them,91裸聊视频� she told Canada91裸聊视频檚 National Observer.

One in three international visitors expressed interest in Indigenous tourism, according to a 2021 survey by Destination Canada. Travel magazines also identified Indigenous tourism as a trend for 2023, according to the internal documents.

91裸聊视频淎t present, projections point to a strong decade of growth globally for the sector, as the World Travel and Tourism Council projects that travel and tourism GDP will outpace the growth of the overall economy by more than two times,91裸聊视频� the documents found.

Bailey91裸聊视频檚 business operated almost exclusively for international guests seeing the Aurora Borealis. Now, more domestic tourism is arriving in Yellowknife, while the international audience continues to rebuild.

However, it wasn91裸聊视频檛 just a pandemic problem. The document revealed there is 91裸聊视频渆vidence of a gap in international travelers91裸聊视频� awareness of Indigenous tourism offerings in Canada.91裸聊视频�

Henry is not surprised and argues that Ottawa is failing to meaningfully invest in his industry.

91裸聊视频淭he bottom line is we don91裸聊视频檛 have the investment structures yet to really continue to tap into the potential of what could be there,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hat takes marketing and development and we don91裸聊视频檛 have that reality in our sector yet.91裸聊视频�

Guardaras, for example, points to airports as the 91裸聊视频済round zero91裸聊视频� for creating awareness of Indigenous tourism. And yet, only Vancouver, Winnipeg and Edmonton do a good job of telling visitors that they are landing in Indigenous territory. That91裸聊视频檚 not the case for other provinces.

Henry argues development and marketing will require 91裸聊视频渞eal investments91裸聊视频� into Indigenous tourism from the federal and provincial governments, as well as from the larger tourism sector.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 beyond listening to lip service,91裸聊视频� he said.

In a statement to Canada91裸聊视频檚 National Observer, Alexander Cohen, director of communications for Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada, , acknowledged that Indigenous tourism has the power to advance reconciliation and self-determination.

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 why supporting the growth of Indigenous tourism is one of our top priorities, in close partnership with Indigenous leaders,91裸聊视频� the statement added. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 important to emphasize that communities make their own decisions and do tourism at their own pace. We must respect that.91裸聊视频�

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