Victoria aboriginal festival highlights growing industry – Victoria News

The three-day Aboriginal Cultural Festival taking place in downtown Victoria this weekend is highlighting a thriving tourism industry in B.C., say organizers.

B.C. is likely “leading the world” in aboriginal tourism development and the industry grew 22 per cent in 2013 alone, said Keith Henry, CEO of Aboriginal Tourism B.C.

“People really want to know the story: what is the real history of this province before 1867,” he said. “They also want to know the benefits are going back to the local communities as much as they can, and I think that driving force is really why aboriginal tourism is growing.”

Aboriginal Tourism B.C. numbers show the industry resulted in $45 million in direct spending last year. Henry and his colleagues returned earlier this month from a trade show in Shanghai, and they’re working with nearly 150 First Nations to develop tourism draws for their individual communities, Henry said.

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