Latest news with #ExploreIndigenous
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Authentic and enriching' tourism showcase
People seeking tourism opportunities in Manitoba have a new resource. Indigenous Tourism Manitoba and The Forks North Portage Partnership celebrated the grand opening on Friday of Explore Indigenous, a new space that aims to build awareness and understanding of Indigenous-led tourism experiences in the keystone province. Located at The Forks Market, the downtown Winnipeg discovery centre offers self-guided learning tools and interpretative displays that introduce visitors to Indigenous Tourism Manitoba's network of operators — who they are, where they're located and what types of experiences they offer. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Indigenous Tourism Manitoba CEO Holly Spence in the new tourism discovery space Explore Indigenous at The Forks Market in Winnipeg on Friday. A curated product showcase features artisans who have been accredited through the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada's Original Original program, which highlights businesses and experiences that are at least 51 per cent Indigenous-owned. Rotating displays and videos help tell the stories of Indigenous tourism operators in Manitoba and staff are on hand to answer questions. The space is also home to Turtle Tours, a new Indigenous-owned and led tourism company that offers guided walking tours and cultural experiences that invite participants to learn about the land, hear the stories that have shaped Indigenous Peoples and connect with their stories. 'Indigenous tourism plays a vital role in sharing culture, history and community perspectives in a way that's both authentic and enriching,' said Minister of Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism Nellie Kennedy. She added in 2023, Indigenous tourism contributed nearly $91 million to Manitoba's GDP, supported more than 1,600 full-time equivalent jobs and generated $39 million in potential tax revenue. 'These numbers speak to not only (Indigenous tourism's) economic strength but also to the growing interest in experiences that are led by Indigenous communities and grounded in their stories,' Kennedy said. 'Indigenous tourism is a cornerstone of our tourism sector.' Even with all the work that's been done to grow Indigenous tourism in recent years, many people are still unaware of who operators are and where to find them, said Holly Spence, CEO of Indigenous Tourism Manitoba. 'Our hope is by creating this (Explore Indigenous) awareness and creating an avenue for consumers to book experiences that it'll drive business (and) create economic development, jobs and revenue for our industry and for our Indigenous people from Manitoba,' Spence said. Ashley Smith had that same goal in mind when she started Turtle Tours. The 42-year-old entrepreneur also owns and operates Turtle Village, a tourist destination in Riding Mountain National Park in southwest Manitoba. She runs the businesses with her husband, Jason, and their three children, Jaylee, Keeson and Dawnjae. Turtle Tours' first offering is a one-hour walking tour of The Forks that includes stops at long-established landmarks like the Oodena Celebration Circle and new features like the Woven Relations garden. 'We really notice that people don't know the actual history here of Winnipeg and The Forks and the importance of it, pre- and post-contact,' Smith said. 'So, that's the foundation that we want to lay.' Celebrating the grand opening of the discovery centre and Turtle Tours was surreal, Smith said, adding she felt honoured to be present with Indigenous Tourism Manitoba and other operators from the province. Alongside the opening of the space, Indigenous Tourism Manitoba launched its new guidebook, Adventure to Understanding, which highlights Original Original-accredited operators across the province. Explore Indigenous is now open Fridays to Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Spence said, adding the centre's operating hours will expand 'in the near future.' Travel Manitoba is proud to support the initiative, said Angela Cassie, chief operating officer. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'When we take time to listen to — and learn from — Indigenous voices, and work to provide space to grow and develop Indigenous tourism, we're also supporting economic reconciliation, cultural revitalization and a stronger, more inclusive tourism industry for all,' Cassie said. The presence of Explore Indigenous is an important part of The Forks' commitment to creating a safe and welcoming space for everyone, said Jessica Floresco, chief operating officer of The Forks North Portage Partnership. Indigenous Tourism Manitoba and Turtle Tours are creating opportunities for visitors to engage and learn, Floresco added. 'These experiences highlight stories that are often left untold and we believe they are essential in moving forward together in a good way,' she said. Aaron EppReporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
The Forks welcomes ‘Explore Indigenous' as new tenant
A display is pictured at the opening of Explore Indigenous on June 4, 2025. (Ken Gabel/CTV News) A new tenant at The Forks will highlight Indigenous tourism operators and bring more business to the industry. On Friday, The Forks welcomed Indigenous Tourism Manitoba and Turtle Tours to its market with the official opening of the 'Explore Indigenous' space. Through this initiative, Indigenous Tourism Manitoba will showcase a range of Indigenous tourism experiences, operators and artisans at one of the province's most historic sites. The space will include interpretive displays and a product showcase that will connect visitors with Indigenous businesses. The goal of Explore Indigenous is to bring awareness to the province's Indigenous tourism and drive up business. 'Indigenous tourism is a cornerstone of our tourism sector,' said Nellie Kennedy, minister of heritage, tourism and sport at a news conference on Friday. 'These experiences have the potential to become iconic Canadian tourism destinations, drawing visitors from across the country and around the world.' Indigenous Tourism Manitoba will share the space with Turtle Tours—a company that provides authentic Indigenous-led tours across the province. With this collaboration, Explore Indigenous will provide Turtle Tours with a reliable and accessible space for the company to book and package its tours. 'For thousands of years this land [at The Forks] has been a gathering place,' Kennedy said. 'Today we honour that legacy by creating space for Indigenous voices, stories and experiences to be shared with the world.' Explore Indigenous can be found in the north atrium of The Forks Market.
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
New space at The Forks aims to help visitors discover Indigenous tourism offerings in Manitoba
A new discovery space in Winnipeg aims to help people explore the growing Indigenous tourism industry in Manitoba. Explore Indigenous, launched at The Forks national historic site on Friday by Indigenous Tourism Manitoba and The Forks North Portage Partnership, was developed to build awareness and understanding of Indigenous-led tourism experiences in the province, a news release said. The space includes self-guided learning tools and interpretive displays that introduce people to Indigenous Tourism Manitoba's network of tourism operators. The space also serves as the new home for Turtle Tours, an Indigenous-owned walking tour and culinary experience, and Indigenous Tourism Manitoba's discovery centre. Ashley Smith, who owns and operates Turtle Tours and runs Turtle Village — a tourist destination in Riding Mountain National Park — said it's "monumental" for her operation to be among those opening in the Explore Indigenous space, in what she described as the heart of Canada. "It's not just a business, it's a story. It's one that's been passed down through generations, and it comes out of a deep love for our people and for the generations yet to come," Smith said at a Friday news conference to launch the space at The Forks, a national historic site where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet that was an Indigenous meeting place for thousands of years before colonization. "Through these tours, we invite people into our history — not the one that's written in books, but the one that we carry in the land, in our memories and in our voices." Holly Spence, the chief executive officer of Indigenous Tourism Manitoba, said the space aims to "create more awareness about our Indigenous tourism experiences that we have here in Manitoba, and where to find them and what they have to offer." "As a growing industry, we really need to spread that awareness about where to find our authentic Indigenous-led tourism experiences and help drive traffic to those businesses," Spence said, adding the number of Indigenous tourism operators in Manitoba has grown in the past couple of years from 81 to more than 170. "Those businesses support economic development in their communities, they help create jobs, they help [people] support their families." Spence said the space will open on weekends initially, but there are plans to eventually expand those hours. It will also include a curated product showcase featuring artisans accredited by Original Original — an initiative from the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada that helps identify experiences that are at least 51 per cent Indigenous-owned — and linking people directly to Indigenous-owned businesses through QR codes. In the future, there will also be on-site retail, the release said. "It's about culture, it's about history, and it's about stories that have always been here. Indigenous tourism is growing in Manitoba," said Angela Cassie, chief operating officer of Travel Manitoba. Rotating displays and videos will also help tell stories of Indigenous tourism operators in Manitoba, while visitor information service staff can help travellers include an Indigenous tourism experience in their trip planning. Indigenous Tourism Manitoba has also launched its new guidebook, called Adventure to Understanding, which serves as a travel companion highlighting operators in Manitoba accredited by Original Original. It's all something Nellie Kennedy, Manitoba's minister of sport, culture, heritage and tourism, said plays a role in what she described as economic reconciliation. "It's important in the sense that we support Indigenous communities and tourism operators," Kennedy said.
