Nine grants valued at $10,000 each were awarded to Indigenous businesses that have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic

CALGARY — WestJet is doing its part to support Canada’s Indigenous community through a grant program launched in collaboration with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC).

Together, the airline and ITAC will provide a total of nine grants valued at $10,000 each to Indigenous tourism businesses across Canada that have been devastated by the shutdown of the tourism industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The recipients of these grants were given the news in March 2021 and their reactions were captured in a new WestJet/ITAC video, which can be viewed here. Recipients will be spotlighted on WestJet’s social channels and its newsroom over the next year.

“We are pleased to be able to support these Indigenous businesses as they work their way to recovery,” said Angela Avery, WestJet Executive Vice President. “WestJet is a proud partner of ITAC and is committed to advancing reconciliation by growing opportunities for indigenous entrepreneurs and sharing with the global travel industry the importance of Indigenous tourism, a unique, important and developing sector of Canadian tourism.”

Keith Henry, President and CEO of ITAC, added: “WestJet has been an amazing partner for ITAC and a true advocate for Indigenous tourism in Canada, championing and collaborating on marketing campaigns, which provide much needed support to Indigenous tourism businesses during this difficult time. WestJet has effectively engaged with Indigenous tourism businesses and communities and fully understands the importance of reconciliation and the layered, but necessary, path to achieve it.”

The grants were originally earmarked through the WestJet/ITAC strategic national partnership, which was signed in November 2019 as a three-year commitment that outlines how the airline will foster opportunities for Indigenous tourism by showcasing Indigenous People’s culture and history and bringing global audiences to take part in Indigenous tourism experiences.

This summer, WestJet and ITAC are encouraging Canadians to support local tourism organizations, including local Indigenous tourism businesses from coast to coast to coast, while following all public health and safety guidelines. Destination Canada has stated that if Canadians shift two-thirds of their planned spend on international leisure travel towards domestic tourism, it will make up for the estimated $19 billion shortfall currently facing our visitor economy and will help sustain 150,000 jobs while accelerating recovery by one year.

“The situation facing the travel and tourism industry overall has been devastating,“ continued Avery. “We encourage Canadians to support Indigenous businesses in their communities and across the country when it is safe to do so.”

Recipients of the 2020/2021 WestJet/ITAC grants are:

• Feast Café Bistro: Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Moonstone Creation: Calgary, Alberta
• Talaysay Tours: Vancouver, British Columbia
• Moccasin Trails: Kamloops, British Columbia
• Indigenous World Winery: Kelowna, British Columbia
• North Star Adventures: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
• Aurora Village: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
• Indigenous Experiences: Gatineau, Quebec
• Miqmak Catering Indigenous Kitchen: Roxboro, Quebec

For more information about the nine recipients, visit www.westjet.com/en-ca/best-of-travel/indigenous-tourism

For more information about indigenous experiences across the country visit www.DestinationIndigenous.ca