P.E.I. could benefit from increased aboriginal tourism

A Mi'kmaq-inspired feast was served at The Culinary Institute of Canada at Holland College's Tourism and Culinary Centre Monday evening, to help start the conversation about expanding aboriginal tourism on Prince Edward Island.

CEO of the Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada, Keith Henry, was promoting the group's new five-year strategic plan, which aims to buildaboriginal tourism across the country.

"We see a lot of untapped potential and a lot of, we think, new visitors to Prince Edward Island," said Henry.

Henry said the association would like to expandthe aboriginal tourism industry by $300 million by 2021, to $1.7 billion yearly.

To get to that goal he said about 9,000 more employees need to be hired, to join the 33,000 currently working in the industry.

Henry said the visitor demand is there.

"We've got right now over the next two years at least 60 million visitors looking for aboriginal tourism in the market right now and we don't have enough aboriginal experiences in many parts of this country to satisfy visitor demand."

The evening began with traditional drumming, and then afive-course mealwas served, starting with a bannock competition.

Premier, First Nations leaders on hand

About 50 people were on hand,including community leaders, elders, Premier Wade MacLauchlan, and people who want to start their own First Nations tourism operations on the Island, such as Gilbert Sark from Lennox Island First Nation.

Sark has already been working in tourism for about nineyears online and from his home, and wants to open a physical store.

"For Lennox Island, if I was to open up a full-out shop and like I said, do designs on clothing and actually having a clothing line out along with my drums, along with the paintings and stuff," said Sark, "you know it would actually be a good thing because I would be able to hire on people to actually do some work with me so that creates jobs, employment and you know it kind of puts the small Lennox Island back on the map."

Sark said sharing aboriginal culture with tourists also helps break down barriers, promotes understanding, and fights stereotypes.

"I'm a firm believer in sharing everything that we have," he said."I think having tourists come over and wanting to learn ... it's beneficial for everybody."

Sark believes there's demand for authentic crafts such as drums and bead work.

Charlie Sark, P.E.I.'s interim board member on the Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada organized the event.

"It's going to benefit the economy and having a diverse tourism product in today's world means that you reach different markets, broader markets," he said."It's going to enhance the product that we have on P.E.I. all together."

Charlie Sarksaid he envisions tourism experiences where people can learn and immerse themselves in contemporary, traditional, or historical Mi'kmaq culture.

He thinks there's a huge opportunity for P.E.I's Food Island brand to consider Mi'kmaq foods as well as part of culinary tourism.