Photo from the 2025 Calgary Stampede Powwow / Photo by Keith Driver
Alberta’s ninth largest industry is tourism, as people from all over come to see the province’s natural beauty, world-class festivals, and diverse cultures every year.
As part of highlighting the diverse culture, Travel Alberta, along with Indigenous Tourism Alberta (ITA), have been partnering with Indigenous entrepreneurs in Alberta to help businesses get their dreams off the ground.
CJWE had the chance to talk with Travel Alberta about how they’ve been assisting Indigenous entrepreneurs with funding, marketing, and other resources that help bring their vision to life.
Some of those Indigenous owned experiences include The Woods Experience, located 90 minutes west of Edmonton and Oji Creations, located outside of the town of Rimbey.
Travel Alberta Destination and Commercial Development Manager, Blaine Mirasty, explained to CJWE how Indigenous led tourism creates a space for Indigenous people to tell their unique story.
Tourism in Alberta makes up 17.5 per cent of the GDP, with 2024 seeing the industry contribute $11.3 billion to the economy, which has seen large growth since 2019 as tourism brought in $7.7 billion.
Chart and Photo from Travel Alberta’s Website
Because of the rising interest in First Nations and Métis culture among international tourists, Indigenous focused tourism is estimated to contribute $126 million to the Alberta GDP, according to Travel Alberta.
Mirasty says each of the experiences is often grassroots-driven, as he found by starting with a tipi, he was able to share who he is back in his home community of Flying Dust First Nation in Saskatchewan.
In the new year, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada will be holding its annual conference in Edmonton to talk about how Indigenous Tourism is growing across Canada.
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