A View from the Outside -- Predispositions and Expectations of Non-Aboriginal Canadians Toward Aboriginal Culture and Heritage Experiences Through Travel

A Pilot Exploration

Presented to: Aboriginal Cultures and Tourism Working Group

Presented by: Research Resolutions & Consulting Ltd.

August 2004

Federal-Provincial-Territorial Culture/Heritage and Tourism Initiative

Background

• The Federal-Provincial-Territorial Culture/Heritage and Tourism Initiative (FPTTI) was officially launched in November 2003 as a two-year pilot project that ended in October 2005.
• This partnership between all provincial and territorial ministries responsible for Culture and Heritage and the Department of Canadian Heritage is co-chaired by Manitoba and New Brunswick.
• Three working groups were created to implement this initiative:
  • The Aboriginal Cultures and Tourism Working Group (led first by Alberta and then Saskatchewan);
  • The Building Market-Readiness Capacity Working Group (led by Ontario); and
  • The Economic Benefits Distribution Research Working Group (led by British Columbia).

Products

• The Initiative's aim is to support partnering jurisdictions in ensuring their culture/heritage stakeholders are able to become active in tourism on their own terms.
• The products to date reflect input from each jurisdiction.
• These products were created to stimulate discussion and create opportunities for dialogue between culture, heritage and tourism counterparts.
• The FPTTI partners are responsible for disseminating the products and key messages within their jurisdictions as they deem appropriate.
• The FPT Culture/Heritage and Tourism Initiative Coordination Office is prepared to respond to requests. They can be contacted at FPTTI@pch.gc.ca

Benefits of the FPTTI

• Continued collaboration with tourism counterparts on culture/heritage-driven projects creates opportunities for increased information sharing and strategic partnerships. The FPTTI will continue to develop the tools and information that will enable FPT culture/heritage ministries to:
  1. Provide leadership on cultural and heritage aspects of tourism-related policy;
  2. assist the culture/heritage sector to build capacity in tourism; and,
  3. create and promote understanding that the promotion, retention, and support of Canada's cultures and the sustainability of tourism are mutually reinforcing.

Explaining the context of the focus group report
A View from the Outside: Predispositions and Expectations
of Non-Aboriginal Canadians Toward Aboriginal Culture and
Heritage Experiences Through Travel

Tourism is an increasingly significant area of interest for Aboriginal communities because of its potential impacts, be they economic, social or cultural. Many communities have identified a need for assistance in undertaking tourism-related activities, which could be harnessed in support of Aboriginal cultural revival, sustainability, and cross-cultural awareness and acceptance.

The Aboriginal Cultures and Tourism Working Group
As part of a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, the Aboriginal Cultures and Tourism Working Group was formed to develop tools to strengthen the relationship between the Aboriginal culture and heritage sectors and other tourism stakeholders.

Context for commissioning A View from the Outside
The Aboriginal Cultures and Tourism Working Group identified a need to better understand domestic tourists’ motivations and expectations vis-à-vis Aboriginal sites and experiences. Specifically, in its list of research themes, the working group expressed interest in exploring what non-Aboriginal Canadians know and feel about Aboriginal tourism, and the barriers they might experience to enjoying Aboriginal tourism. To address these questions, the working group contracted Research Resolutions and Consulting Ltd. to conduct three focus groups in Toronto, Saskatchewan, and Vancouver and to present their findings, which are described in the attached report.

A caveat for A View from the Outside
Since this research reflects the opinions and attitudes of a small number of people, caution should be exercised in assessing the study. The findings may or may not be representative of the population at large and cannot be projected to a broader population without quantitative testing.

For more information on any of the subject matter in this note, please contact the Coordination Office of the FPT Culture/Heritage and Tourism Initiative at FPTTI@pch.gc.ca

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