CALGARY — The Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada is now the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada.

An Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) member survey from April 2017 indicated that 80% of those responding prefer the organization use ‘Indigenous’ instead of ‘Aboriginal’ in its name.

“The name change reflects what our members want, and also responds well to the visitor research conducted with Destination Canada this fall on our largest visitor market, the U.S.,” says Keith Henry, President and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada.

Henry said research showed that the U.S. travel consumer’s understanding of ‘Aboriginal’ was low. The name change also responds to the growing international awareness of Indigenous tourism in Canada. It also differentiates Canada’s tourism product from competing destinations, such as Australia where the term Aboriginal has broader acknowledgement on an international scale.

For more information see indigenoustourism.ca.