ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (April 22, 2024) – The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) is seeking proposals from qualified American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian tribes/organizations and enterprises, hotels, or casinos to provide a venue to host the American Indigenous Tourism Conference (AITC) in 2026 and 2027.
The AITC is the only national conference dedicated to advancing travel and tourism in American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities, providing tribes and native organizations an opportunity to learn from industry experts, engage in educational sessions, and network with tourism professionals from across the nation. Each year, the AITC attracts more than 300 attendees who participate for second-to-none networking opportunities, high-level keynote sessions and informative breakout sessions led by some of the hospitality industry’s leading experts. Attendees include Indigenous entrepreneurs, artists, tour operators, cultural and museum professionals, historic preservation officers and representatives from the travel/tourism industry, educational institutions, and federal/state/local agencies.
AIANTA is looking for a host or hosts for the conference in 2026 and 2027. The host region will be responsible for identifying a local American Indian, Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian venue and establishing an active local host committee that will support the American Indigenous Tourism Conference planning team in coordinating assigned local logistics, including, but not limited to welcome reception, mobile workshops, collaboration with local convention and visitor’s bureau, conference bags and speaker gifts, and more.
Hosting the AITC comes with a multitude of advantages. These include fostering networking opportunities and drawing in potential customers, bolstering local businesses, expanding industry and marketing reach, and much more. AIANTA will accept 2026 and 2027 proposals submitted by postal mail, courier service or email by 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Wednesday June 19, 2024. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered. For questions regarding the RFP, please submit in writing (via email) to AIANTA Education Support Specialist Sherrie Bowman at sbowman@aianta.org for committee review. The deadline to submit questions is May 17, 2024.
The AITC Request for Proposal (RFP) can be downloaded at aianta.org or by clicking the button below.