FORT McMURRAY — Travel Alberta says continued investment in Indigenous tourism and partnerships with local organizations could help create new experiences, attract high-value visitors and expand the tourism economy in Wood Buffalo.
Travel Alberta has made Indigenous-led tourism a provincial priority and has worked with Indigenous Tourism Alberta since 2021 to support Indigenous entrepreneurs and expand Indigenous-owned tourism experiences.
David Goldstein, president and CEO of Travel Alberta, said developing tourism opportunities in Wood Buffalo requires working with local organizations, entrepreneurs and community leaders.
“We invest regularly in [Wood Buffalo Economic Development and Tourism] to help them connect and support entrepreneurs,” Goldstein said.
Travel Alberta says successful Indigenous tourism development depends on partnerships built around trust, respect and allowing Indigenous operators to determine how their cultures and communities are presented to visitors.
Since 2021, the provincial tourism agency has invested $8.85 million in Indigenous Tourism Alberta, which it describes as Canada’s fastest-growing Indigenous tourism organization.
Travel Alberta extended its memorandum of understanding with Indigenous Tourism Alberta in June 2025, committing another $2 million annually through 2028.
The partnership is intended to help Indigenous entrepreneurs develop new tourism experiences while supporting communities seeking to use tourism to strengthen local economies and share their cultures on their own terms.
Goldstein said Travel Alberta has also been discussing its plans and ambitions for the region directly with local leaders.
“We’ve been talking about plans with local community leaders and business leaders in the area to go through what our ambitions are and how we want to continue working together,” Goldstein said.
Indigenous tourism operators Brenda Holder of Mahikan Trails and Tracey Klettl of Painted Warriors have been highlighted by Travel Alberta as examples of businesses using collaboration to expand Indigenous tourism experiences.
Holder offers medicine walks and workshops based on traditional knowledge and connections to the land, while Painted Warriors provides land-based experiences including tracking, archery, horseback riding and snowshoeing rooted in Indigenous traditions.
Klettl said collaboration between Indigenous operators and the broader tourism industry is essential to growing the sector.
“To develop Indigenous tourism in Alberta, we have to work together,” Klettl said.
“Alberta is already knocking it out of the park because we’re working together to tell these stories to the world. To grow the industry, we’ll need to partner as much as possible. It’s not just about Indigenous tourism. It’s all of us.”
Goldstein said Travel Alberta is also working to increase the number and variety of tourism experiences available to visitors.
“We’re also involved in the supply side and giving the opportunity to entrepreneurs and communities to build product that will attract particularly high-value travellers to places like this,” Goldstein said.
Travel Alberta says Indigenous tourism can provide economic opportunities while strengthening communities, supporting cultural preservation and creating opportunities for younger generations to reconnect with languages, traditions and knowledge.
The agency says its work with Indigenous Tourism Alberta is intended to support Indigenous operators as they develop businesses and experiences while maintaining control over how their cultures and stories are shared with visitors.
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