As part of an Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)-funded initiative, Tourism HR Canada is developing a Pan-Canadian Market and Export Readiness curriculum to help tourism businesses develop products and services for new and emergent visitor markets. Authentic, quality Indigenous tourism experiences are in great demand and have been prioritized as a key market to develop. Working in collaboration with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), Tourism HR Canada is seeking a qualified contractor that will update ITAC’s National Guidelines, develop an accreditation framework, and develop ancillary tools that make up the Indigenous Tourism Market Ready Accreditation Program, aimed at recognizing authentic Indigenous tourism products and services that meet the standards defined by the National Guidelines.
ITAC focuses on creating partnerships between associations, organizations, government departments, and industry leaders from across Canada to support the growth of Indigenous tourism in Canada and address the demand for development and marketing of authentic Indigenous experiences. ITAC has an established membership process that enables Indigenous tourism industry partners to engage with and show support for Indigenous tourism.
To select a qualified contractor that will:
- Update the National Guidelines
ITAC’s guidelines were last updated in 2017 and currently contain much of what is required to assess a business’s market readiness, but we are looking at expanding, updating, and rewriting content to allow for alignment with the new accreditation program that is also part of this project. Layout and design are also included in the deliverables of the chosen contractor.
More information about the current National Guidelines is available here: https://indigenoustourism.ca/corporate/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/18-12-National-Guidelines-Book-EN-DOC-W-FORMS-v11.pdf.
The updated National Guidelines are envisioned as:
- Containing explicit and measurable criteria reflecting current and emergent best practices (see an example of similar criteria and the anticipated format in the Appendix)
- Defining criteria specific to ‘Market Ready’ and criteria specific to ‘Export Ready’ (Tourism HR Canada staff will assist in delineating the difference between the two)
- Providing updated information and examples building from the current Guidelines
- Develop an Accreditation Framework based on the updated Guidelines and related ancillary tools, including (but not limited to):
- Application Guide
- Accreditation Self-Assessment Checklist – pre-check before officially requesting accreditation
- User Guide for assessors
- Definition of Terms
- Resource Guide – identifying specific resources to assist businesses in building their capacity to successfully obtain accreditation from ITAC
- Program design and layout for both the Guidelines and tools
* Tourism HR Canada and ITAC project leads will work collaboratively with the contractor to identify the key content areas to be assessed in the accreditation framework.
The contractor is expected to produce deliverables that meet a quality standard and have been sufficiently vetted by stakeholders, with consensus reached on final copy.
The contractor will deliver all materials in English. Deliverables will be subject to a formal edit and adapted to the second official language, facilitated by Tourism HR Canada. The editor and/or translator may be required to consult with the contractor to address discrepancies or seek clarity. If adjustments are needed based on this consultation, the contractor will be responsible for making any minor adjustments in a timely manner.
