WHAT WE DO

British Columbia
Canada

MAIN SERVICES

Destination Original Indigenous Tourism (DO-IT) provides specialized advisory and implementation services to strengthen Indigenous-led tourism globally. Its core services include the design of national and regional Indigenous tourism strategies; institutional strengthening and governance development for Indigenous tourism organizations; market readiness and quality standards frameworks; development of certification and excellence programs; research, measurement and data systems for Indigenous tourism; policy advisory and public-sector engagement; and capacity-building through workshops, leadership training, and technical missions. DO-IT also facilitates ethical partnerships with the private sector, supports access to markets and investment, and promotes international collaboration among Indigenous tourism networks.

Why Indigenous Tourism?

Indigenous Tourism is a transformative, rights-based approach to tourism development that strengthens Indigenous economic sovereignty, protects living cultures, and reinforces territorial stewardship. It creates meaningful employment and entrepreneurship opportunities while safeguarding knowledge systems, languages, and ancestral lands. When led by Indigenous Peoples, tourism becomes more than an economic activity, it becomes a vehicle for self-determination, intercultural dialogue, environmental responsibility, and long-term community wellbeing.

The gaps of the sector

Despite its growing recognition and demonstrated impact, Indigenous Tourism continues to face significant structural gaps that limit its full potential.

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Limited Access to Capital and Investment

Many Indigenous tourism enterprises lack access to tailored financial instruments, patient capital, and culturally appropriate investment mechanisms that align with community governance and long-term territorial priorities.

Fragmented Data and Measurement Systems

There remains a global absence of reliable, disaggregated data on Indigenous tourism’s economic, social, cultural, and environmental contributions. Without robust measurement frameworks, the sector is often undervalued in public policy and investment decisions.

Policy and Institutional Barriers

In many countries, tourism policies do not adequately recognize Indigenous governance systems, collective land rights, or cultural protocols. This creates misalignment between national tourism strategies and Indigenous self-determined development pathways.

Market Access and Positioning Challenges

Indigenous tourism businesses frequently face barriers to accessing high-value markets, distribution channels, and international visibility, limiting revenue capture and long-term sustainability.

Capacity and Organizational Strengthening Needs

Grassroots Indigenous tourism networks often operate with limited technical, administrative, and marketing capacity, despite playing a critical role in community development and territorial management.

Risk of Cultural Appropriation and Misrepresentation

Without Indigenous leadership and clear standards, tourism can lead to cultural commodification, misrepresentation, or extractive practices that undermine cultural integrity.

The Original Original Mark of Excellence

The Original Original – Mark of Excellence is a global distinction to recognize authentic, Indigenous-led tourism experiences that meet the highest standards of cultural integrity, governance, sustainability, and community benefit.

This mark is more than a label; it is a commitment. It signals that an experience is genuinely Indigenous-owned or Indigenous-governed, rooted in living cultures, aligned with territorial stewardship, and developed according to principles of self-determination and collective wellbeing. The Original Original reinforces trust in the marketplace by distinguishing authentic Indigenous tourism from misrepresentation or cultural appropriation.

Grounded in international best practices and adapted to diverse regional contexts, the Mark of Excellence will provide a structured framework that supports quality assurance, market readiness, and long-term impact, while respecting the diversity of Indigenous Peoples worldwide.

The full framework, criteria, and application process will be launched soon.

BEST PRACTICE MISSIONS

Best Practice Missions are structured, field-based learning exchanges designed to strengthen Indigenous-led tourism through direct experience, peer-to-peer dialogue, and applied knowledge transfer. These missions bring Indigenous leaders, tourism practitioners, policymakers, and partner institutions into established Indigenous tourism destinations to observe governance models, market-ready businesses, certification systems, visitor management approaches, and community-led development strategies in action.

Through guided site visits, technical workshops, and strategic dialogues, participants gain practical tools and replicable frameworks that can be adapted to their own territorial and cultural contexts.

Best Practice Mission CRIC, Colombia

A Best Practice Mission was carried out in 2024 with the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC), involving Indigenous tourism leaders from the Cauca Department in Colombia.

Best Practice Mission Tarapacá Region, Chile

A Best Practice Mission was carried out in 2025 in the Wendake Community, Québec, Canada, with the participation of seven Indigenous tourism leaders from the Tarapacá Region in Chile.