Indigenous tourism fast-growing in Atlantic Canada: research report

The Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat (APC) launched the Atlantic Indigenous Tourism Research Report at the Millbrook Cultural Heritage Centre on Wednesday.

The report showcases research and recommendations Indigenous communities can use to improve tourism, while also highlighting existing barriers that need improving.

Millbrook First Nation Chief Bob Gloade said the report shows the steps needed to take towards what he refers to as “reconcile-action.”

“In the region, while tourism is an important part of sharing our history, our culture, it also is a part of economic development and moving forward,” he said.

The report shows the economic impact of Indigenous tourism in the Atlantic region has contributed to 2,900 jobs.

It highlights that while the tourism in Indigenous communities is growing, it shows more needs to be done, like promoting the culture and language to visitors.

“If Nova Scotia is recognizing Mi’kmaq as the first original language of the province — the way I see it, more signs is a start. Make the infrastructure of it the norm, not the special thing, but the norm,” said Jarvis Googoo, APC’s Atlantic Indigenous Economic Development Integrated Research Program’s director.

Gloade said steps like having historic Indigenous artifacts within the communities they originate is vital.

“They’re not going to go New York to learn about the Mi’kmaq here in Nova Scotia or Atlantic Canada, they’re going to come here and they want to learn about our history and culture that’s in close proximity to our communities, to our territory.”

The Millbrook First Nation community has already seen more visitors this year than it ever has.

“We had a maximum of 45,000 people that walked through our door,” said Heather Stevens, Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre’s manager. “This year, about 50,000 people walked through our doors — and that’s just to the middle of May.”

It took years of hard work for the centre to grow, said Stevens, and it comes with some challenges.

“We don’t really have a whole lot of Indigenous tourism businesses, such as this. We also don’t have a whole lot of Indigenous artists that are involved in the tourism industry.”

The Atlantic Policy Congress plans on visiting Indigenous communities across the Atlantic region. They are hoping to push and promote the tourism study to showcase opportunities in cultural and economic growth.