Sophie Gray
Local Journalism Initiative
The Government of Canada announced new funding to support the Indigenous tourism industry through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister of Indigenous Services Marc Miller announced the $133 million on June 11 in an emailed statement. The money will go towards Indigenous businesses hit hard by COVID-19 restrictions.
“The Indigenous tourism sector is particularly vulnerable to economic effects of COVID-19,” read the statement, stating that $16 million of the new funding will go to the Indigenous tourism industry as a stimulus development fund administered by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada.
The Indigenous tourism sector grew 23 per cent between 2014 and 2017, valued at roughly $1.7 billion. The tourism sector, Indigenous and otherwise, has been disproportionately hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new announcement comes as part of Canada’s COVID-19 economic response plan, adding to the previous funding for Indigenous businesses.
There are roughly 30,000 small and medium sized Indigenous businesses in Canada that provide revenue for community services and are a source of meaningful employment for many Indigenous people.
“While our top priority remains the health and safety of individuals, I want to acknowledge the great challenges Indigenous businesses and economies have faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Minister of Indigenous Services Marc Miller. “Indigenous businesses are the driving force of many local economies. With this additional support, Indigenous communities and businesses will have the flexibility they need to respond to their unique economic needs through this difficult time.”
The remaining $117 million of funding announced today will go to small and medium sized Indigenous businesses that are not eligible for existing support.
