Indigenous tourism operators in the NWT are feeling nervous about the future after learning that allocated a significantly lower than requested amount of funding to the (ITAC).

Budget 2021 proposes to provide $2.4 million in 2021-2022 to ITAC. That amount falls far short of the $68 million that ITAC requested, with $50 million of that targeted for the period of 2020 to 2024 and $18 million in emergency funding, said association CEO Keith Henry, from Vancouver.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e extremely disappointed,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭o only see one year and three per cent of what we asked for was pretty demoralizing.SA国际影视传媒�

The $2.4 million allocation follows a difficult time for ITAC and Indigenous tourism across Canada, as the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a SA国际影视传媒渓oss of 30 years of progressSA国际影视传媒� to the industry, Henry .

The association provides financial, marketing and training support for tourism operators across the country.

Operating on a budget of $21 million in 2020-2021, the organization managed to provide 683 non-repayable grants of up to $25,000 each to Indigenous tourism operators trying to survive economically during the pandemic.

But the organizationSA国际影视传媒檚 funding difficulties might force ITAC to make uncomfortable decisions like cutting provincial and territorial memorandums of understanding (MOUs), laying off staff and ending grant and marketing programs, such as the and .

SA国际影视传媒淲e have a multi-year MOU with Travel Manitoba. This year we negotiated in good faith to get a fairly good investment in recovery,SA国际影视传媒� Henry said. SA国际影视传媒淭ravel Manitoba would put in $250,000 to stabilize that with the understanding weSA国际影视传媒檇 be able to contribute as well, but we just donSA国际影视传媒檛 have the resources now. We were trying to do that with NWT Tourism as well. Now itSA国际影视传媒檒l be almost impossible for us to make that commitment.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒楽hocking and devastatingSA国际影视传媒� to tourism

One NWT Indigenous operator who has benefited from a partnership with ITAC is Joe Bailey, owner of in Yellowknife.

His company has been a member of ITAC since 2015 and received about $37,500 in program development assistance and COVID-19 relief funding during that time.

SA国际影视传媒淔rom what was requested to what was received is shocking and devastating to Indigenous tourism not only here in the NWT, but right across Canada,SA国际影视传媒� Bailey said of the federal governmentSA国际影视传媒檚 allocation to ITAC.

SA国际影视传媒淭his is bad news for many small Indigenous tour businesses who are struggling to survive with each passing day. It is unbelievable to see the federal government failing Indigenous tourism like this,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚f nothing changes, if ITAC does not get its budget, it could spell the end of ITAC as we know it, and many Indigenous tour businesses as well. WeSA国际影视传媒檒l definitely feel that impact.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒榃here will we go for funding?SA国际影视传媒�

James Marlowe, owner of Rivers East Arm Tours in Lutsel KSA国际影视传媒檈, was also taken aback by the news of ITACSA国际影视传媒檚 funding.

The association helped him secure funding for new equipment and ice fishing supplies after his efforts to seek assistance from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency didnSA国际影视传媒檛 pan out.

Hearing about ITACSA国际影视传媒檚 funding woes was a huge disappointment for Marlowe.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檇 like to thank Keith Henry and all of his hard work for us Indigenous tourism operators. ITAC helped a lot of members that belong to that organization,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚f they cut back on staff and the operations SA国际影视传媒� where (will we) go for funding and other stuff? ItSA国际影视传媒檚 very, very unfortunate that the minister or the federal government has to decrease the amount of funding for ITAC. That wonSA国际影视传媒檛 benefit anyone.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒� also in Lutsel KSA国际影视传媒檈 SA国际影视传媒� joined ITAC after the Lutsel KSA国际影视传媒檈 Dene First Nation bought the lodge in December 2019.

General manager Corey Myers said ITACSA国际影视传媒檚 funding problems are SA国际影视传媒渋ncredibly disheartening.SA国际影视传媒�

Myers lauded the association for supporting FrontierSA国际影视传媒檚 attendance at this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 Rendezvous Canada virtual tourism marketplace in May.

SA国际影视传媒淲e hope (it) will help us dramatically in terms of marketing the new Thaidene N毛n茅 packages we plan to launch in 2022. To be honest, we likely would not have been able to attend this year without (ITAC) support,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Miscommunication, or low priority?

Henry is scratching his head at ITACSA国际影视传媒檚 small allocation after he said the organization met with Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and Innovation, Science and Economic Development dozens of times in the last several months to communicate the associationSA国际影视传媒檚 needs, providing written documents to reinforce its position.

SA国际影视传媒淓ither cabinet didnSA国际影视传媒檛 get the requests we made or, frankly, the departments just didnSA国际影视传媒檛 recommend an Indigenous-led strategy. Either way, both are unfortunate,SA国际影视传媒� said Henry.

He acknowledges some of the positive aspects of Budget 2021, namely its $18 billion allocation to Indigenous communities and $64 million earmarked for Indigenous entrepreneurs, which could help with tourism investment.

However, he decries the SA国际影视传媒渇ailure to recognize an Indigenous-led tourism strategySA国际影视传媒� that risks hurting the industry.

ITAC is still communicating with the Department of Finance to see if thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a possible solution to the funding deficiency.

The release of the April 19 federal budget comes just over five months after that ITACSA国际影视传媒檚 board of directors approved a $25,000 bonus for Henry, one day after ISC announced in June that the association would receive $16 million in stimulus funding.

ITAC said the $25,000 didnSA国际影视传媒檛 come out of the stimulus funds.

ISC did not respond to a request for comment by press deadline.