MISSISSAUGA—Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO) has officially partnered with Sport Tourism Canada (STC) through a memorandum of understanding (MOU), recognizing the organization as their national supporting partner with ITO’s undertaking of a provincial Indigenous sport tourism strategy. The signing took place October 25 at the 2023 Ontario Tourism Summit, held on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit.
“ITO is pleased to work alongside Sport Tourism Canada,” said Kevin Eshkawkogan, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of ITO. “This work is vital in helping to enhance the economic opportunities for Indigenous people by improving the socio-economic conditions through mutual collaborations with like-minded organizations, who share common goals and values. We are incredibly pleased to identify STC as our national sport tourism partner.”
This is the second sport tourism MOU that ITO has collaborated on during its current fiscal operating year, with the first taking place in August with Golf Ontario and the Indigenous Ontario Golf Championship. This collaborative work signifies a significant step forward in building a bridge between Indigenous communities and the sport tourism sector. It will provide a framework for the development of meaningful partnerships, mutual support and the exchange of knowledge and resources ultimately contributing to the growth of an Indigenous sport tourism strategy for Ontario.
Sheena McCrate, CEO of STC said, “We are honoured to partner with (ITO) through this MOU. STC is keen to learn from Indigenous communities and tourism operators in Ontario and share those key insights and learnings with our members across Canada. Members of ITO and STC will reap the benefits of the invaluable resources unique to our organizations, as well as the networking opportunities created through this partnership.”
STC is a non-governmental, member-based, capacity-building not-for-profit organization that promotes sport tourism as a grassroots economic and social development initiative at the community level, servicing nearly 150 municipalities, 300 national and provincial sport, multi-sport and major games organizations and other industry partners. They aim to increase Canada’s capacity to attract and host sport tourism events by establishing Canada as a preferred sport tourism destination, enhancing the image and profile of the sport tourism industry, facilitating networking, education, and communication opportunities, developing and facilitating access to industry tools, building investment in sport tourism from the public and private sectors and coordinating research and data collection of activity within the sport tourism industry.
ITO is the province’s first and only dedicated Indigenous tourism organization that focuses on uniting communities, Indigenous organizations, and industry leaders to support the growth of Indigenous tourism in Ontario. ITO assists Indigenous communities and entrepreneurs with programs that build the capacity to produce high-quality products and services. ITO is recognized by the governments of Ontario, Canada and Indigenous political organizations in the development of the Indigenous tourism sector in Ontario.
