Presented byCamille Ferguson Executive Director

Rural Export ForumFarmington, New Mexico

Thursday, March 30, 2017

To define, introduce,

grow and sustain

American Indian,

Alaska Native and

Native Hawaiian

tourism that honors

traditions and values.

Mission 

“AIANTA is dedicated to the development of an American Indian tourism industry that promotes the authenticity of our cultural presentations and history.”

Who AIANTA Serves

Education and Technical Resources for Tourism Development

Research and Data Analysis for Destination Mapping

Creating and Nurturing Regional and National Partnerships

Raising Public Awareness of Tribal Tourism

Providing Domestic & International Marketing

Providing National Tribal Tourism Leadership

Provides the following services:

Camille Ferguson, AIANTA Executive Director  

and U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Advisory Committee on Travel & Tourism Infrastructure

Sherry L. Rupert, AIANTA President  and  

U.S.  Department of Commerce Travel & Tourism Advisory Board 

Representative 

Cultural Heritage TourismSustainable Tourism Assessment 

& DevelopmentDestination Marketing

Community‐based TourismCustomer Relations for the Hospitality Industry

Best Practices in Event Management

Tourist Guiding TechniquesElectivesCore Units

Technical Assistance & Training 

Highlighted Training Topics:

• Tribal Tourism Business Development

• Tourism Best Practices • Tourism Marketing • Tribal Museums and Cultural 

Centers• International Marketing • Protection of Tribal Intellectual 

& Cultural Property • Tapping Federal Resources 

American Indian Tourism Conference

Scholarship and Recognition Program

Educations Scholarship Program

Destination Awards Program• Excellent Customer Service • Best Cultural Experience• Tribal Destination

Enough Good People Awards

• Reached people from 50 countries via social media and website traffic 

• Created more than 70 million earned media impressions through more than 165 media stories

• Attracted more than 10,710 website visitors • Placed 20 paid Indian Country tourism 

advertisements • Sent more than 80 emails blasts with a reach 

of nearly 4,000 targeted contacts per blast • Attracted 3,865 Facebook likes and 845 

Twitter followers• Distributed quarterly newsletters reaching 

16,000 readers• Participated in 18 speaking engagements 

globally 

NATIVE AMERICAN PUBLIC AWARENESS  

Public Lands Partnership Program 

Lewis & Clark Bi‐centennial “Enough Good People” 

American Indian And the Civil War

Grand Canyon National Park’s Desert View 

American Indians and Route 66

The role of the AIANTA Public Lands Partnership Program is to manage and grow dynamic,

mutually beneficial networks of partners in support of tribal tourism related to America’s

public lands.

International Tribal Tourism Outreach

Showcase USA-ItalyAIANTA introduced Indian Country tourism to the Italian market for the first time at Showcase USA-Italy. Showcase USA-Italy, organized by the U.S. Commercial Service and Visit USA Association Italy, is the ideal event for both new-to-market companies and repeat exhibitors wishing to form new partnerships and reconfirm placements with existing clients.

U.S. Travel Association’s IPW AIANTA, funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), represented

Indian Country tourism as part of the BIA booth on Federal Row at the

U.S. Travel Association’s Annual IPW Travel and Trade Show (formerly

International Pow Wow)

ITB BerlinAIANTA participated in ITB-Berlin for the seventh consecutive year. All

segments of the industry participate: tour operators, booking agents,

travel agents, airlines, destinations, hotels, car rental companies,

suppliers, buyers, destinations and media. In total, more than 10,000

exhibitors participated this year from around the world, attracting more

than 100,000 people to the tradeshow.

New! Go International Training Program AIANTA, implemented in 2017 a new international training program to assist in

helping tribes create, grow and identify tourism programs that are international ready

to participate in international tourism programs. Next program is January 22 & 23

2018

International Travel America’s #1 Service Export 

77.5 Million International Visitors*(2015)

Travel and Tourism Supports 1.1 Million Jobs *

Total Employee Compensation Surpasses $220 Billion Annually

* Data obtained from our office as the U.S. Department of Commerce, Industry & Analysis, National Travel & Tourism Office, March 2014U.S. Travel Answer Sheet, U.S. Travel Association, March 2013

U.S. Department of Commerce and International Trade Administration, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries Survey of International Travelers for: 2005‐2015. 

Visitors to Native American Communities: (2015)

Typically spend 12 additional days in the USA

67% are leisure travelers, spending more than business travelers

Visit three destinations while in USA

Are frequently returning visitors looking for new experiences

More than half come from Asia and Europe; AIANTA marketed in China, Germany and Italy in 2014‐2015 

Tribal Tourism Growth 

Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP)

• The Cooperator Program provides financial and technical assistance from ITA to support projects that enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. industries.

• Partnership with ITA and non-profit industry groups like trade associations and chambers of commerce.

• Industry groups pledge to pay a minimum of two-thirds of the project costs on sustainable projects

• Award Limits: $500,000. Awards up to 3 years• American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association

(AIANTA), will receive $172,411 from the International Trade Administration's (ITA) Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP).

• AIANTA will match the MDCP award with an investment of $384,020 of its own resource

Top Overseas Markets forInternational Travelers to the U.S. 2015p

* International travelers include all countries generating visitors to the U.S.** Overseas includes all countries except Canada and Mexico.

Record year for travel to U.S.

Rank Market of Origin Visitors (000)

2014r/15 % change

2011/15 % change

‐‐ Total Arrivals * 77,471 3% 23%

1 United Kingdom 4,901 18% 28%

2 Japan 3,758 4% 16%

3 China (PRC) 2,591 18% 138%

4 Germany 2,272 10% 25%

5 Brazil 2,218 ‐2% 47%

6 Republic of Korea 1,765 21% 54%

7 France 1,753 6% 17%

12 Italy 1,039 8% 17%

Visiting American Indian Communities:Country of Origin 2014r vs. 2015

17

OriginMarket

Visit Amer.Indian Comm.

2014r(000)

Visit Amer.Indian Comm.

2015(000)

%Change

2014/2015

Overseas 1,677 1,958 17%China 169 238 41%U.K. 158 181 15%Australia 116 174 50%France 154 163 6%Germany 134 129 -3%Italy 45 81 79%

r = revised arrivals to USA totals which impact visitation figures for 2014 as well

Top Travel & Tourism ExportMarkets 2015r in $ Billions

Origin CountryTravel

Receipts

Passenger Fare

Receipts

Total Travel

Receipts

2014/ 2015

% change

2011/ 2015

% change

China $27.7 $2.5 $30.2 15% 117%Canada $17.4 $5.3 $22.7 -13% -10%

Mexico $16.8 $2.9 $19.7 5% 22%

Japan $11.6 $5.6 $17.2 1% 18%

United Kingdom $12.9 $3.3 $16.2 12% 21%

Brazil $11.1 $3.3 $14.4 3% 44%

India $10.2 $1.6 $11.8 18% 52%

Germany $7.2 $1.7 $8.9 8% 35%

Italy $3.1 $1.1 $4.3 4% 22%

Total Travel Exports $204.5 $41.7 $246.2 5% 31%

Record year for travel exports

Selected Key Traveler Characteristics for 3 Countries Visiting American Indian Communities 2015

19

Characteristic U.K. Germany ItalyUse of Packages 21% 16% 30%First International Trip to USA 18% 23% 40%Main Purpose of Trip - Vacation 76% 78% 84%Main Purpose of Trip - VFR 13% 13% 5%Nights in the USA (in Indian Country vs. all) 26 vs. 14 29 vs. 19 22 vs. 16Number of States Visited 2.4 2.7 2.7Number of Destinations Visited 3.5 4.4 4.4

Characteristics U.K. Germany Italy

Overseas Travelers To Native American Sites - Top Ports

Los Angeles (LAX) - 24%New York (JFK) – 15%Miami (MIA) – 10%San Francisco (SFO) – 9%Chicago (ORD) – 5%Honolulu (HNL) – 4%Atlanta (ATL) – 3%Newark (EWR) – 3%Agana, Guam (GUM) – 3%

Top Ports of Entry by Overseas & U.K. Travelers to Native American Sites – 2015

Las Vegas (LAS) – 16%Los Angeles (LAX) - 14%New York (JFK) – 14%Newark (EWR) – 8%San Francisco (SFO) – 7%Chicago (ORD) – 6%Atlanta (ATL) – 5%Seattle (SEA) – 4%Miami (MIA) – 3%

U.K. Travelers to Native American Sites - Top Ports *

German Travelers to Native American Sites - Top Ports *

Los Angeles (LAX) - 18%San Francisco (SFO) – 13%Miami (MIA) – 12%New York (JFK) –9%Chicago (ORD) – 9%Atlanta (ATL) – 6%Philadelphia (PHL) – 4%Newark (EWR) – 4%Denver (DEN) – 4%

Top Ports Of Entry by German & Italian Travelers to Native American Sites – 2015

New York (JFK) – 33%Los Angeles (LAX) – 21%Miami (MIA) – 11%San Francisco (SFO) - 7%Charlotte (CLT) – 6%Chicago (ORD) – 5%Atlanta (ATL) – 5%

Italian Travelers to Native American Sites - Top Ports *

* Only ports with at 4% market share of visitors to Native American sites are listed

Overseas Travelers To Native American Sites - State Visited*

California (44%)Nevada (33%)New York (27%)Florida (20%)Arizona (15%)Utah (9%)Hawaii (8%)Illinois (5%)Massachusetts (5%)Texas (5%)Washington State (5%)Louisiana (4%)

Top States Visited by Overseas & U.K. Travelers to the U.S. & Native American Sites – 2015

U.K. Travelers to Native American Sites - Top Ports *

* Note: trip information is collected separately for destinations visited while in the U.S. and activities. Thus, visitors to a state may not have visited a Native American site in that state.

California (41%)Nevada (39%)New York (24%)Arizona (21%)Utah (12%)Florida (11%)Washington State (6%)New Mexico (6%)Illinois (5%)Tennessee (5%)Massachusetts (5%)

German Travelers to Native American Sites - State Visited*

California (50%)Nevada (36%)Arizona (30%)Florida (21%)Utah (21%)New York (15%)Colorado (7%)Georgia (6%)Illinois (6%)Washington State (5%)North Carolina (5%)Texas (5%)

Top States Visited German & Italian Visitors to the U.S. & Native American Sites – 2015

Italian Travelers to Native American Sites - State Visited*

* Note: trip information is collected separately for destinations visited while in the U.S. and activities. Thus, visitors to a state may not have visited a Native American site in that state.

California (56%)Nevada (45%)New York (37%)Arizona (26%)Utah (22%)Florida (16%) Colorado (7%)Wyoming (6%)Tennessee (6%)Louisiana (5%)Illinois (4%)

Transportation Used by 3 Countries Visiting American Indian Communities - 2015

24

Mode of Transport U.K Germany ItalyRented Auto 44% 73% 55%Company or Private Auto 40% 29% 33%City Subway/Tram/Bus 37% 38% 44%Airlines in the U.S. 34% 39% 46%Taxi/Cab/Limo 33% 21% 34%Bus Between Cities 21% 21% 28%

Mode of Transport U.K. Germany Italy

Activity Participation for 3 Countries Visiting American Indian Communities 2015

25

Activity U.K Germany ItalyVisit Am. Indian Comm. 100% 100% 100%Sightseeing * 93% 92% 82%Shopping 92% 92% 88%Visit National Parks 78% 86% 74%Visit Historical Locations * 72% 78% 48%Small Towns/Countryside * 71% 81% 59%Guided Tours 63% 48% 58%Art Gallery/Museum 54% 46% 42%Cultural Ethnic Heritage Sites * 52% 62% 53%Experience Fine Dining * 48% 42% 35%Amusement/Theme Park 30% 41% 47%

* New Activity categories starting in 2012

Activities U.K. Germany Italy

American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association

2401 12th Street NW Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104

Phone: 505-724-3592 Fax: 505-202-7023

www.aianta.org

@OfficialAIANTA American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA)

Thank You!