1. By Patti Balsillie, CAE, EQAT November 19, 2015 Sharing Our Stories: Developing Cultural Tourism in First Nations Communities Conference

2. * The Jigsaw Puzzle of Tourism * Cooperation in Action * Role of Standards * Yukon’s BMT * Distribution Channels to Customers * Innovation through Collaboration * Enterprise Clustering * Lens on Yukon * Group Activity

3. Changing trends are constant in target markets Seasonality of demand Weather is unpredictable Consumer expectations vary Longer-term market development High fixed costs Cooperative nature of competition…. Focus today is on Collaboration

4. Acknowledgements * Long Ago People’s Place celebrating 20 th Anniversary this past summer * Shakut Tun Adventures on Christmas Bay Common principles – passion, vision, culture, networks, building experiences with community, diversity of markets, CAFN support…..

5. * Standards in the tourism industry play a big role * Manage and deliver expectations as promoted in marketing * Consistency of brand promise in destination * Ensuring that safety and integrity are in place for guests and suppliers * Provide consumer and trade confidence * Supports supplier, destination, DMO, region, Nation and more

6. * Yukon’s Business Market and Trade Standards (over 10 years ago) * Used to determine tourism businesses eligible to leverage the TCMF or other marketing programs * A tool to assess readiness to the travel trade and international trade shows * A benchmark for suppliers to aspire to in business development

7. Business Ready: * Maintain good standing of all applicable licenses, insurances and legislative requirements (WTL, CRA, YG, etc.) Market Ready: * Have marketing materials * Maintain 24-48 hr response time to inquiries and 24 hr’s to booking requests * Provide a contact number or email year-round * Have a published consumer billing, payment and cancellation policy

8. Meet all MR standards and…. * Have published trade-oriented billing, payment and cancellation policy for groups and FIT bookings * Have been MR for at least one year or have a proven track record working with the travel trade previously * Offer wholesale (net) rates to receptive/inbound tour operators throughout a negotiated time period and provided within at least one year in advance of the selling time period – guaranteed.

10. Yukon’s communities are rich in stories, culture, people, art, craft, wilderness, recreation and more. * Choosing to be ‘in tourism’, to build a business and to become Market Ready is a big commitment, over a longer-term time period that can require big financial investments How can we take all the amazing experiences, products and stories from our communities to support economies and jobs from tourism? * Let’s talk innovation….

12. * Through a community/stakeholder planning retreat and process, the ATSI community came together to discuss tourism, development and how to balance western enterprise practices with aboriginal values – to deliver a value-driven, sustainable, job creating tourism industry October 2014 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, Australia

13. 1. Formalize the cluster 2. Be a community 3. Infuse cultural protocols in the business model 4. Deliver what you know best 5. Leverage tourism infrastructure 6. Embrace values of culture 7. Work towards financial independence

14. Operators * Clustering is a challenge but rewarding because you look after one another – together Government Agencies * Integrate aboriginal tourism clusters into destination development Policy Makers * Provide programs that support long-term needs of Aboriginal Tourism clusters

15. To Recap: * Learned about Cooperation * Standards * BMT * Pathways to Consumers/Visitors * Enterprise Clustering * Table Discussion….

17. Gunalchîsh ! Másį Qujannamiik Merci Thank you

18. Market and Trade Ready Project: * www.tradereadynorth.ca www.tradereadynorth.ca Delivering on Expectations * http://www.tc.gov.yk.ca/pdf/TourismBMTmanual_final_for_web.pdf http://www.tc.gov.yk.ca/pdf/TourismBMTmanual_final_for_web.pdf ATSI Enterprise Clustering: * www.crc- rep.com.au/resource/MainSummary_AboriginalTorresStraitIslanderPrinciplesEnter priseClustering.pdf www.crc- rep.com.au/resource/MainSummary_AboriginalTorresStraitIslanderPrinciplesEnter priseClustering.pdf Navajo Arts and Cultural Enterprise (NACE): * www.gonavajo.com www.gonavajo.com Patti Balsillie, CAE, EQAT pattib@northwestel.net (867)334-2522