International interest is growing for Indigenous tourism in northwestern Ontario
Cindy Crowe says Niibing Tribal Tours has bookings from across North America, Europe and Spain this year
As domestic and international interest in Canadian tourism grows against the backdrop of a tariff war with the United States, Cindy Crowe is seeing more and more overseas customers come through her property.
"I've had a gentleman from the U.K. twice and he's coming back again. I had a young woman come from Spain and she's coming back," said Crowe, the lodge keeper and sole proprietor of Niibing Tribal Tours. The business is located roughly half an hour southwest of Thunder Bay, in Neebing, Ont.
Crowe adds she has also accepted bookings for tourists from the Philippines, France and Germany.
This appetite for Indigenous tourism experiences is something that Indigenous tourism organizations across the province are seeing as well. According to Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO)'s website, approximately one third of international visitors to Canada are interested in seeking out Indigenous experiences.
Last month, ITO received $250,011 dollars from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) to develop a strategy to fast track Indigenous tourism in the province's northern region. The overall plan is meant to attract more visitors from southern Ontario to the Manitoulin and Sault Ste. Marie corridor.
Crowe, who is a member of Red Rock Indian Band, says the appetite for authentic Indigenous experiences is growing.
"I'm very open to having non-Indigenous people participating, and so people get excited about that too because maybe they haven't had an opportunity before."
Crowe's business offers a number of programs for visitors to engage in authentic Indigenous traditions, including sweat lodge ceremonies, deer hide drum making workshops, smudging ceremonies and lessons on how to grow your own medicine.
Niibing Tribal Tours is also in the process of constructing 13 new cabins, expanding on their already established capacity for tents and trailers. Crowe says she was able to pay for the cabins using money she'd received through the Robinson-Superior Treaty, and chose this amount of cabins to reflect and share with guests the teachings of the 13 moons and the 13 grandmothers.
Growing recognition on a broader stage
Indigenous tourism operators across Canada contributed roughly $3.7 billion in revenues in 2023, which equated to a direct contribution of $1.6 billion to Canada's GDP, according to the latest report from the Conference Board of Canada.
Local, non-indigenous tourism organizations are taking note of this increased interest in Indigenous tourism, and seeking ways to partner with regional companies. Crowe says, in recent months, she has engaged with local cruise ship operators in order to make it possible for passengers to take part in her retreats, as well as discussions with Tourism Thunder Bay and the Charity Games Complex.
Tourist engagement with Indigenous programs has been steadily rising over the past few years in northwestern Ontario. In 2020, the Kay-Nah-Chi-Wah-Nung Historical Centre in Stratton, Ont., which is owned by Rainy River First Nations, won the Indigenous Tourism Award at the 2020 Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence.
In 2023, delegates for the Assembly of First Nations passed a resolution to seek funding for an Indigenous-led tourism strategy.
The federal government's Tourism Growth Program (TGP) was designed to support the sector in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the $108 million dollars the federal government has pledged to support businesses, organizations and communities in developing tourism services and products, roughly $16.2 million has been set aside for Indigenous tourism initiatives.
Community expansion on the horizon
Not all Indigenous tourism programs have seen substantial growth in their non-First Nations customer base. Rather, some have been steadily growing their businesses organically through word of mouth.
"We call it moths and telegraphs," said Jeordie Pierre, owner of the School of Indigenous Learning (SOIL), in Neebing. "Usually you have to kind of be in the loop, like we don't really do any publicizing."
Despite a lack of publicity, Pierre estimates that 5000 people have come through the school in the past eight years. Most of SOIL's customer base is young Indigenous folks looking for a safe space to learn about their culture and traditional values.
The business also regularly welcomes community and health organizations such as Community Living Thunder Bay and Brain Injury Services Northern Ontario. Some of the programs found at SOIL include grandfather teachings, lessons on clan systems, and hands-on land based teaching about nature.
Pierre says he's attracted the interest of some non-Indigenous tourists since opening the business, but says he hopes to see more, so long as their visits are "organized right."
I'm very open to having non-Indigenous people participating, and so people get excited about that too because maybe they haven't had an opportunity before.- Cindy Crowe, owner of Niibing Tribal Tours
Larger First Nations bodies are also hoping to capitalize on a growing interest in Indigenous tourism. Last month, Grand Council Treaty #3 hosted a tourism strategy session to brainstorm how to better support local tourism operators.
Grand Council Treaty #3 is the national governing body for the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty 3 territory, a majority of which lies in northwestern Ontario.
"Starting to host Treaty #3 tourist operator engagement sessions are so important because we have so many amazing businesses within the area that we really want to bring awareness to," said Hailey Krolyk in an emailed statement. Krolyk is Treaty #3's Senior Strategy and Innovation Manager. "
Krolyk says Treaty #3's initial meeting with Anishinaabe tourism operators was meant to identify tourism activities and locations across their territory. They are also looking to lay out a plan for future eco-tourism development in the area.
As tourism in northwestern Ontario continues to flourish, Pierre sees the benefits of interest in Indigenous experiences going beyond just increased revenue.
"Our doors are open, right, so I really encourage people with other ethnic backgrounds to come and join us out there because it's nice to know each other's culture so that we could better get along and have a better understanding about each other. That's kind of like our little philosophy, how we look at things."
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