Indigenous-led tourism is experiencing a boom on Vancouver Island, despite new research suggesting an awareness gap among British Columbians.
A new poll, conducted by the Angus Reid Institute and commissioned by Intrepid Travel, indicates that fewer than half of British Columbians (47%) feel confident in their ability to find and choose an Indigenous-led tourism experience.
However, operators on Vancouver Island report their busiest seasons to date.
Chyanne Trenholm, general manager of Homalco Wildlife and Cultural Tours in Campbell River, stated that this has been the company's most successful season in its 26 years of operation. "It's been a really really good season for us," Trenholm said. "We started grizzly bear tours on [Aug. 10] and we've been seeing grizzly bears every day, which is really exciting."
Homalco First Nation owns the company, which has expanded its offerings from just grizzly bear viewing to include 10 other experiences, such as whale watching and cultural tours.
Trenholm emphasized the company's role as stewards of their land, sharing their stories in their own way while navigating ancestral waters.
Indigenous-led tourism is defined as a business or experience owned and operated by an Indigenous nation, community, or individual.
The poll also revealed that 63 per cent of Canadian respondents noted a lack of information on how to connect with Indigenous tourism.
Despite the poll's findings, Trenholm and operators from two other Indigenous-owned tourism companies on the island report a different reality on the ground.
Melissa McClurg, senior cultural tour guide with Songhees Tours, described their walking and canoe tours, which visit seven historic Lekwungen sites around Victoria, as being as much about hospitality as history. "I think it's important to gain an understanding of whose traditional lands that guests are visiting, and offering us a chance to be the good hosts that we've always been," McClurg said. "We share our language, our history, our culture … we're finding guests who are just looking for somewhere to even just ask questions in a safe space."
Mike Willie, owner of Sea Wolf Adventures and co-owner of Coastal Rainforest Safaris, which both offer educational and cultural tours, conceived of Sea Wolf Adventures during a spiritual fast in Kingcome Inlet, seeking a way to remain connected to his territories. This vision led to the business's establishment in 2013. He later partnered with Andrew Jones to operate Coastal Rainforest Safaris.
Willie explained that during the off-season, his team focuses on raising awareness of their offerings by investing in marketing and traveling internationally to educate travel agents about Indigenous-led experiences. "The off-season is getting ready for the next season," Willie said. "We travel to the U.K., to Germany … we call them sales missions. We go in and we train their staff how to sell our product or sell our experiences, because that's the key. If you work with the travel trade, they don't necessarily know how to sell you."
He highlighted that what they offer is unique and not scripted. "We educate people from around the world who we are, where we come from, showing people our beautiful territory," he said. "Tourism has been in the territories for well over 100 years, but it wasn't us doing it. We're not on the outside looking in anymore, we're a part of it. What makes us unique is that we actually come from these waters and territories and we have stories that connect us."
Willie added that Indigenous tourism benefits both guests and employees, stating, "It's to build capacity, train, employ and get people out in their own territory."
The Angus Reid survey was conducted online in English and French from July 24 to July 28, 2026, with 1,507 Canadian adults participating.
