Yukon Indigenous tourism should grow responsibly, say advocates

Yukon is helping leadthe way when it comes to Indigenous tourism, says a national industry group.

And while delegates at a conference in Carcross this week agreed they want the sector to grow, they saidthey want it donewith care for cultural protocols favouring small, localand Indigenous-owned businesses.

Victoria Fred, vice-president of theYukon First Nations Culture and TourismAssociation (YFNCT), saidthere are concerns about growth and commodification.

"How can we support entrepreneurs when they're developing their product, so they feel they're maintaining their integrity?" she asked.

"We want to ensure tourism is something that happens with Yukon First Nations, not to them."

The YFNCTis pledging to help increase Indigenous tourism in Yukon by 50 per cent overthe next decade.

Sector growing in B.C., Quebecand Yukon

Keith Henry, president and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, said Canada's Indigenous tourism sector is growing, particularly inB.C., Quebec and Yukon.

He said demand is growing for "authentic" experiences with Indigenous culture.

One examplehe mentionsfrom Yukon is the ShakatTunWilderness Camp, run by James Allen, a former chief of theChampagne and AishihikFirst Nations.

Henry visited the site in July and says he was delighted. The group listened to stories around a crackling campfire.

"I loved seeing Champagne andAishihikFirst Nation territory, and seeing the full moon overlookingKluaneLake just can't be put into words," Henry wrote on social media at the time.

The definition of Indigenous tourism can bedebated for instance, whether itmeans a business being Indigenous-owned or having Indigenous employees such as guides.

The YFNCT points to numbers from the Conference Board of Canada, which saysthere are 67 tourism-relatedbusinesses with Indigenous ownership in Yukon.

The listing includes companieswhich have Indigenous partners but are not majority-Indigenousowned.

The Indigenous TourismAssociationof Canada says that nationally, there are 139 Indigenous tourism businesses, and thatthe sector employs more than 41,000 people.

At the conference in Carcross, Henry told delegates that industry needs a coordinated approach to growth. For instance, he saidCarcrosswill be limited in its growth until it has accommodations to offer beyond campgrounds and small-scale bed & breakfasts.

'You must respect culture'

Whispering Trees Adventures isa Yukon-based company founded by Jonathan Alsberghe, who immigrated toCanada fromFrance. Hiscompany has partneredwith the Champagne and AishihikFirst Nations and works with local guideswho offertours on traditional trails.

"It's an immense amount of research and work, to find partners," Alsberghesaid.

"You have to earn people's trust and approach people with respect. You must respect culture, and not try to impose things. You have to see what people want to share," he said.

Marilyn Jensen, president of YFNCT,says Indigenous people must be in control of any industry that uses their culture to draw people in. She says cultural tourism can remain meaningful, if it's done right.

"As we focus on self-determination and sustainability, we need to build viable industries in our communities. We feel this is a way we can really be in the lead of that," she said.

Jeannie Dendys, Yukon's minister of Culture and Tourism, said this week'sconference will inform work on a new Yukon tourism development strategy. So far, the process has received 12,000 comments and held public meetings across Yukon.

Dendys told delegates that the promise of Indigenous tourism is about "creating an ethical space in the middle, where we can collaborate."