The tourism industry is making a comeback after the COVID-19 pandemic, and for states that receive many visitors, there are many benefits, including increased economic revenue and job creation.
But some communities that haven’t fully benefited from the booming tourism industry include North America’s tribal nations.
Beth Wright, MA’ 21, has devoted much of her career to helping local communities explore opportunities to promote tourism in their areas while protecting the integrity of their culture and heritage.
“I think tourism is really about what it means to people in their community and in the environment that they love,” Wright said. “I think the more we invest in people, the better the results will be for tourism.”
She is the program manager for the South Dakota Indigenous Tourism Alliance. She helped launch the project through George Washington University’s International Tourism Research Institute as a graduate research fellow.
The Tourism Alliance launched in 2019 with technical assistance from the International Tourism Research Institute, which brought together representatives from the nine federally recognized tribal nations and industry professionals in South Dakota to discuss how to responsibly develop and manage tourism on tribal lands. The initiative was launched with funds from the NATIVE Act.
Wright said the first goal is to determine if people from tribal nations want to explore tourism development and management on tribal lands.
A series of strategic meetings followed, first in person and then virtual during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, to discuss ways to expand tourism opportunities on tribal lands in a way that elevates the voices and perspectives of residents in local communities .
Wright said that while there has been excitement about expanding tourism opportunities on the preserves, several people have also been hesitant about the idea.
“It was mixed,” Wright said. “There are people who were excited about the opportunity to create a new business. There are many small businesses on the reservations, many of which are informal. And it can be a challenging place to run a business. So people were excited about the new job opportunities.”
At the same time, many people shared concerns during the meetings. Wright said some residents are wary of welcoming visitors to reserve communities because of protected sites and performed rituals that would not be appropriate for tourists to attend.
This requires intentional and consistent management, Wright said, to ensure that visitors respect the cultural values and assets of the tribal lands they visit.
Through the joint meetings, the tourism alliance produced the South Dakota Native American Tourism Development and Management Plan 2020-2025, a five-year plan that includes a wide range of infrastructure projects, tourist attractions and product development initiatives along with community and entrepreneurial opportunities.
The group also created a visitor etiquette guide to help educate visitors on how to properly engage with Native American community members and what to do at events and protected sites.
Wright said there are so many beautiful destinations in these local communities that offer endless activities. One of her favorite experiences is attending powwows, also known as uacipiswhich are large public festivals that include traditional dances, food and games.
“These tribal lands are a beautiful place with a lot of vast land,” Wright said. “I strongly believe that every traveler will benefit from a visit, whether they want to see culture, history or contemporary art. There is also a lot of beautiful land for people to go hiking and do river activities. There is something for everyone.”
In partnership with the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance, the South Dakota Department of Tourism has created a guide to help people find Native American attractions and experiences throughout the state. Wright encourages hikers to visit the guide to help plan their trip.
Stephanie Gerson, a graduate research fellow at GW, manages one of the International Tourism Research Institute’s flagship initiatives, the Indigenous Tourism Collaborative of America (ITCA).
She said their goal is to use tourism as a tool to help tribes in the Americas generate income and an opportunity to share their natural and cultural resources.
What happens in some cases, Gerson explained, is even in countries that get a lot of tourism, it doesn’t trickle down to local communities.
ITCA brought together groups from across the Americas that included local tourism organizations, tourism entrepreneurs and academics to find solutions and create opportunities for sustainable tourism.
Their work resulted in the creation of an extensive local tourism e-library that contains a comprehensive list of tools and information related to local tourism.
Gerson said everyone involved in the project is passionate about ensuring that decisions made reflect the voices of local community members.
“It’s important that tourism in local communities is managed by the local communities themselves,” Gerson said. “And if people can control and manage the tours, they will reap the most economic benefits and tell their own stories.”
