Indigenous Tourism BC Celebrates a Successful First Virtual Annual General Meeting

Coast Salish Territories, November 25th, 2020 – Indigenous Tourism BC (ITBC) held its first-ever virtual Annual General Meeting on November 25, 2020.  ITBC hosted this digital event from the shared traditional territory of the Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam, and Squamish Nations.

Indigenous tourism businesses and industry partners from across BC gathered on Zoom to celebrate Indigenous tourism businesses’ creativity and resilience as they continue to rise to the challenges presented by the pandemic. The theme for this year’s AGM was Pulling Together for Recovery.

Brenda Baptiste, Chair of ITBC’s Board of Directors, delivered the opening remarks. She acknowledged our community’s innovation and perseverance in response to a year that continues to present new challenges and emerging recovery strategies.

Dennis Thomas from the Tseil-Waututh Nation welcomed the online audience and opened the virtual event with song and prayer.

Keynote speaker Andy MacLellan, President and CEO of VERB Interactive, discussed how COVID has reshaped consumer behaviour, emerging digital trends, and focuses for adaptive tourism businesses.

ITBC would like to thank all Stakeholders and industry partners who participated in our first-ever online Annual General Meeting held online.

Let us reflect on how this challenging year has strengthened our connections to each other and how we can use this shared strength to pull together toward recovery and beyond.

ITBC Board of Directors

ITBC thanks all board members, past and present, for your ongoing support and commitment to Indigenous tourism growth in BC. We extend a warm welcome to newly-elected members and congratulate those board members who regained their seats.

We offer special recognition and gratitude to outgoing board members Bert Mercer and Kaylene Earl for their service and support of the BC Indigenous tourism industry.

We want to welcome our new Board of Directors Members to the ITBC team:

• Kootenay Rockies Regional Representative – Jared Teneese
• Thompson Okanagan Regional Representative – Sharon Bond
• Vancouver Coast and Mountains Regional Representative – Lori Simcox
• At-Large Director – Frank Antoine
• At-Large Director – Cheryl Chapman
• At-Large Director – Trevor Cootes

The executive will be chosen at the next Board of Directors meeting on December 21, 2020.

meet the entire board of Directors