Declining numbers of Canadians heading to the U.S. for vacation could mean an even better tourism season for attractions such as Mādahòkì Farm, which had already begun to cater to more domestic travellers.
“We’ve been operating mostly focused on group experiences,” she said. “Groups would come in for a meal, come for a powwow, maybe create a craft. But now, we’re starting to see more local families.”
Before establishing its 164-acre Nepean farm in 2021, Mādahòkì spent more than 20 years offering Indigenous cultural programming and immersive experiences on Victoria Island in the Ottawa River. At the time, the majority of visitors were from outside of Canada, said Mather-Simard.
“Back when we started, Aboriginal tourism was a fairly new industry,” Mather-Simard told OBJ. “There were only a few of us popping up at tourism trade shows. At the time, there was a lot of focus and interest in what Indigenous tourism held for international tourists.”
From the 1990s through the early 2000s, she said the farm mostly hosted tourists visiting from Europe, Asia and Australia. In more recent years, that trend has changed.