National Geographic’s explorer-in-residence Wade Davis said First Nations taking part in the tourism industry could revolutionize the sector

National Geographic’s explorer-in-residence Wade Davis said First Nations taking part in the tourism industry could revolutionize the sector by promoting a more substantial appreciation of cultural diversity. Davis gave the keynote address at the second annual Pacific Asia Indigenous Tourism and Trade Conference mid-September, which brings together groups of the Pacific Ocean to strategize on promoting the industry. He said efforts in the sector have to be about more than just increasing the numbers of First Nations in the industry. Aboriginal tourism in the province reached $50 million in revenues this year and is expected to reach $68 million by 2017. B.C.’s Aboriginal tourism industry has some of the most diverse and best developed operators in the world, particularly in Indigenous cultural tourism. “When people say they want an authentic travel experience, there’s nothing truer than those of Indigenous origin, said Kate Rogers, who works with Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia. “They are the original guides; they know the land better than anyone else.”