Wanuskewin Heritage Park Attracts Global Visitors, Fueling Explosive Growth In Indigenous Tourism Across Canada

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Wanuskewin Heritage Park is helping lead a roar of Indigenous tourism crossed Canada arsenic it welcomes much and much world visitors. A short thrust northbound of Saskatoon, nan park’s unsocial operation of taste history, interactive creation installations and ecofriendly practices has been attracting travelers from nan United States, Australia, Germany, France and beyond. As this world-wide liking grows, nan wellness of our tourism assemblage is being boosted, arsenic much and much group are looking for authentic experiences that observe Indigenous history, creation & traditions — and Wanuskewin would beryllium astatine nan forefront of nan destination for locals and visitors alike.

Just northbound of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, stands Wanuskewin Heritage Park, which is starring nan complaint of a nationwide rebirth correct now successful Indigenous tourism. Creating a imagination that encompasses a larger conception of Indigenous history up to modern day, King called nan parkland a spot wherever Indigenous culture, art, and practice tin beryllium witnessed and experienced, drafting visitors from astir nan world. This betterment bucks a world-wide inclination of plummeting visitation figures during nan tallness of nan COVID pandemic, pinch visitant numbers now moreover exceeding pre-pandemic levels, and moreover immoderate expectations.

Others — notably a bison herd, creation exhibits and taste gatherings — person turned nan parkland into a magnet successful learning astir Indigenous heritage, drafting section and world visitors.

Wanuskewin is not only a well-traveled attraction for anyone successful and astir Saskatoon, it has besides go a destination for travelers from astir nan globe. The United States continues to beryllium nan number 1 root of world visitors and Australia, Germany, England and France are among nan countries that regularly nonstop visitors to bask nan city’s abundance of culture. The parkland useful intimately pinch Tourism Saskatchewan and Discover Saskatoon to create relationships pinch world circuit operators, truthful that Wanuskewin is portion of Canada-bundle tourer packages.

The parkland has profoundly ingrained roots successful nan organization arsenic singing birds correspond lied, de interculturalism cosmopolitan lies that span 40 different languages. “Wanuskewin was really calved from nan community, truthful we want to beryllium reflective of our organization and of each nan different nations who person travel present complete nan past 6,400 years.” This narration to organization and history is simply a ample portion of what draws group to wanting to study nan heavy taste bequest of autochthonal peoples.

National Focus connected Indigenous Tourism Growth

At a nationalist level, nan Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is moving to reconstruct and grow nan Indigenous tourism industry, aiming to return to pre-pandemic levels of economical activity. The organization’s 2025-26 operational scheme focuses connected 10 cardinal priorities designed to beforehand Indigenous tourism businesses and heighten nan sector’s publication to Canada’s economy.

Despite challenges specified arsenic nan lingering effects of nan COVID-19 pandemic and caller tariff issues affecting cross-border recreation pinch nan United States, nan Indigenous tourism manufacture successful Canada has seen sizeable growth. In 2023, Indigenous tourism generated $1.3 cardinal for Canada’s system and provided employment to 35,000 individuals crossed nan industry, according to ITAC. Looking forward, ITAC projects that by 2030, nan manufacture will turn to support 60,000 jobs and lend $6 cardinal to Canada’s GDP.

The attraction connected expanding nan labour marketplace and addressing economical concerns is simply a important measurement guardant for nan industry, particularly successful ray of world economical conditions and waste and acquisition disputes.

A New Focus connected Sustainable and Regenerative Tourism

Post-pandemic, location has been a noticeable displacement successful tourism trends, pinch much travelers looking for experiences that connection deeper meaning and lend positively to section communities. Regenerative tourism, a cardinal facet of sustainable travel, is now a apical privilege for galore travelers seeking meaningful and eco-conscious experiences. This displacement has greatly benefited Indigenous tourism destinations for illustration Wanuskewin, which offers visitors not only nan opportunity to research Indigenous cultures but besides to participate successful activities that person a affirmative biology and taste impact.

Sustainable and regenerative tourism places accent connected practices that reconstruct and protect nan environments and cultures being visited. Visitors to Wanuskewin are drawn to its efforts to sphere and beforehand Indigenous knowledge, pinch a peculiar attraction connected knowing nan relationship betwixt Indigenous peoples and nan land. Wanuskewin provides a captivating journey, seamlessly combining a cautiously preserved bison herd pinch move taste celebrations, each while respecting Indigenous customs and embracing modern tourism principles.

Wanuskewin’s Journey Toward UNESCO World Heritage Status

Wanuskewin Heritage Park is presently being considered for inclusion connected nan UNESCO World Heritage list. This designation, if granted, would beryllium a important accomplishment for nan parkland and would elevate it to an internationally recognized level of taste and humanities importance. UNESCO’s World Heritage nickname would not only bring greater world attraction to nan park’s offerings but would besides solidify its position arsenic a must-visit destination for anyone willing successful Indigenous history and culture.

The imaginable UNESCO nickname is simply a reflection of nan park’s long-standing committedness to preserving Indigenous history, culture, and traditions. It besides acknowledges nan value of nan tract successful nan broader discourse of world practice preservation. If awarded, nan nickname could lead to accrued world visitation and further beforehand nan maturation of Indigenous tourism successful Saskatchewan and crossed Canada.

ITAC’s National Efforts and Financial Support for Indigenous Tourism

While challenges remain, nan Canadian authorities and ITAC person taken proactive steps to support Indigenous tourism businesses. In 2020, nan national authorities provided $16 cardinal successful financial alleviation to ITAC to thief mitigate nan impacts of nan pandemic. This support was captious successful helping Indigenous tourism businesses navigate nan difficult economical scenery during nan tallness of nan COVID-19 crisis.

Currently, ITAC is facing concerns complete U.S. tariffs, which person led to a driblet successful American visitors visiting Canada. The request for continued authorities support to mitigate nan impacts of these tariffs is crucial, particularly arsenic nan U.S. waste and acquisition conflict continues to impact tourism.

In consequence to these challenges, ITAC has secured a seven-year backing committedness done nan Passion Project Foundation, receiving $35 cardinal each twelvemonth from anonymous donors. This backing will beryllium utilized to support Indigenous tourism businesses, create caller experiences, and beforehand trading initiatives crossed nan country. One of nan cardinal initiatives is nan creation of nan Indigenous Tourism Heritage Fund, which will support awesome tourism improvement projects led by Indigenous communities.

The Future of Indigenous Tourism

Indigenous tourism is emerging arsenic 1 of nan biggest maturation opportunities successful post-pandemic tourism. Both Wanuskewin Heritage Park and ITAC are dedicated to making judge Indigenous tourism continues to beryllium a viable and captious conception of Canada’s wide tourism sector. The wide of sustainable tourism and greater attraction to regenerative recreation practices are besides anticipated to beryllium a important facet successful this growth.

With increasing world visitation, authorities support and accent connected responsible tourism, indigenous tourism successful Canada is connected a affirmative trajectory towards a thriving future. In an era wherever travelers are looking to go much immersed successful authentic taste experiences, Wanuskewin Heritage Park and places for illustration it will stay astatine nan forefront of that effort, providing visitors pinch ways to not only lend to nan world successful a affirmative measurement but besides person a enriching and enriching experience.

If you’re readying a travel to Canada, hitting up an Indigenous practice tract specified arsenic Wanuskewin is simply a awesome measurement to acquisition thing caller and thief support their civilization and history alive. The return of Indigenous tourism represents a affirmative early for taste tourism each crossed our county, and particularly present successful Saskatchewan, wherever destinations for illustration Wanuskewin thief span nan spread for visitors to acquisition nan stories and traditions of nan Indigenous peoples here.

Wanuskewin Heritage Park is starring an detonation of Indigenous tourism from astir nan world, pinch rich | taste experience(s), afloat immersion successful Indigenous peoples’ measurement of life and nan environment, and nan aforesaid principles down bully eco-friendly products and services that visitors are seeking. These unsocial offerings, bison herds, creation exhibits, and taste events, person made nan parkland a cardinal destination for those looking to make a genuine relationship to Indigenous history and traditions.

To conclude, nan revival of Indigenous tourism, highlighted by Wanuskewin Heritage Park, prompts important discussions astir nan world nickname and appreciation of Indigenous cultures and their significance. Through nan take of sustainable tourism, taste practice promotion and lobbying nan government, some Wanuskewin and ITAC are stubbornly charting a people to usher successful a caller era for Indigenous tourism successful Canada.