Prior to the pandemic, Indigenous tourism was considered the fastest-growing segment of the Canadian tourism market and an important source of income for indigenous communities. However, as the indigenous tourism industry is recovering slowly from the losses caused by Covid-19, targeted funding is more necessary than ever. The Canadian government’s new 'Signature Indigenous Tourism Experiences Stream' (SITES) program is designed to enable indigenous communities to participate in tourism in a self-determined and profitable way while sharing their culture and history. The project receives 10 million CAD funding from the 'Indigenous Tourism Fund' (ITF). Supported are large-scale projects that involve the expansion of existing tourist destinations, in particular those close to important cultural and natural sites.
According to a press release of the Canadian government, the funding program underlines the government’s commitment to working with indigenous leaders and communities such as the 'National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association' (NACCA), an umbrella organization of indigenous financial institutions. In order to ensure that the projects make a positive contribution to indigenous communities and attract other sources of financing, representatives of the 'Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada' and local indigenous tourism organizations will be assisting. Canadian Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada points out that Indigenous Tourism further can promote economic reconciliation. In addition, the SITES program is an Indigenous-led process with the aim of improving the tourism offers in the First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities and enables them directly benefit from it.