Indigenous Tourism Specialist Job Posting: Northern British Columbia
About the Indigenous Tourism Regional Specialist – Position has been filled.
Indigenous tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in the tourism industry and Indigenous Tourism BC and The Northern BC Tourism Association continue to partner to assist in further developing the industry in the northern BC region.
Through this unique partnership, Indigenous Tourism BC and The Northern BC Tourism Association aim to connect Indigenous communities to tourism development opportunities based on current regional and provincial tourism strategies. Our goal is to support the advancement of Indigenous tourism by providing responsive and respectful regional-specific support through meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities and tourism partners.
The role of the Indigenous Tourism Specialist is to connect emerging entrepreneurs, growing businesses, and interested communities to development and planning opportunities, programming, and resources that will support Indigenous tourism economy and business.
We are grateful for funding from Destination BC and Western Economic Diversification to support this work.
Job Description
Indigenous Tourism BC and Northern BC Tourism Association are seeking a talented individual to join the team to support the advancement of a competitive, sustainable, and socially conscious Indigenous tourism industry in northern British Columbia.
The successful applicant will work directly with the Northern BC Tourism Association Team, in partnership with Indigenous Tourism BC in a coordinated and collaborative approach to engage Indigenous partners to develop and support indigenous tourism and to promote the indigenous experiences and products of the Northern BC region.
Come prepared to join a diverse team to grow Indigenous Tourism!
Primary Function
- As a representative of Indigenous Tourism BC and Northern BC Tourism, connecting and engaging with Indigenous communities and partners to learn about Indigenous community objectives and aspirations related to tourism will be paramount to this position. A primary component of the position will focus on engagement with Indigenous communities, Indigenous tourism businesses, and tourism partners to promote and further develop a sustainable tourism economy in the region.
Job Duties
- Representing Indigenous Tourism BC and Northern BC Tourism Association, strengthen relationships and communication with Indigenous communities, leadership, businesses and partners with the goal to inform, engage and support Indigenous participation and collaboration in the development of the tourism economy in the Northern BC Tourism region.
- Connect Indigenous communities and Indigenous tourism businesses to Indigenous Tourism BC and Northern BC Tourism programs and resources that support the growth and development of tourism in the region, including experience development and training programs, capacity-development, and marketing and social media campaigns.
- Update and implement the Northern BC Destination Development Strategy and Indigenous Tourism Action Plan, ensuring alignment with national, provincial, and regional strategic plans
- Ongoing development and management of the inventory of Start-Up, Visitor-Ready, Market-Ready and Export-Ready Indigenous tourism experiences in the region
- Make strategic recommendations and implement supports through Indigenous Tourism BC and Northern BC Tourism Association to meet market-ready standards and increase regional tourism growth.
- Following protocol, strengthen relationships and partnerships with Indigenous communities and businesses in the region, representing Northern Tourism BC and Indigenous Tourism BC at community meetings and events with Indigenous leadership, community members and businesses.
- Work with Indigenous partners to develop story ideas and assist in producing unique Indigenous content to support experience development and for specific marketing and social media activities.
- Maintain and manage budget within area of responsibility
- Seek and act on opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement
- Contribute to monthly, quarterly and annual reporting
Qualifications
- Post Secondary education preferred.
- Thorough understanding of BC’s tourism industry; 5+ years professional experience in business, tourism and strategy development an asset.
- Demonstrated working knowledge of Indigenous communities with a keen desire to develop economic opportunities for Indigenous tourism businesses.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills including writing, public speaking and presentation.
- Strong facilitation skills.
- Excellent analytic and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to create and maintain effective and credible relationships with Indigenous leadership, tourism industry leaders and entrepreneurs.
- Project management expertise with skills in planning, organizing and managing resources to meet a goal.
- Ability to contribute as a member of a professional team as well as the ability to work independently.
- Strong skills in time management, organization and prioritization as well as experience taking initiative
- Demonstrated discretion and the ability to work with sensitive information
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office
- BC Drivers License required
- Ability to travel extensively within the Northern BC region and to the Lower Mainland as required.
Reports To: Northern BC Tourism Association
Applications
To apply for this job, please send your resume and cover letter by email to April Moi, Industry Development, Northern BC Tourism Association.
We look forward to hearing from you!