ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (May 7, 2024) – The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA), returned to the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW 2024 in Los Angeles, California, May 3-7, showcasing cultural diversity of American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities across the United States with more than half a dozen exhibitors and introduced its newly relaunched website, NativeAmerica.Travel, now with a booking platform.
As the leading inbound travel trade show, past IPWs have generated more than $5.5 billion in future travel by connecting U.S. travel exhibitors with travel buyers and media to promote their product and negotiate future business, securing America’s position as a foremost global travel destination and showcasing the best of what the U.S. has to offer.
To continue growing the $15.7 billion Indigenous tourism industry by introducing global travelers to Native Nations and communities in the U.S., AIANTA’s NativeAmerica.travel partnered with WeTravel, the premiere booking and payments platform for multi-day and group travel businesses, to offer visitors an immersive journey into Indigenous cultures, histories and landscapes in the United States.
NativeAmerica.Travel’s advanced features include a user-friendly navigation system, a robust trip planning option, Google language translation, and a calendar system that features Powwows and Indigenous events from across the nation. In addition, an entirely new interactive map with a built-in itinerary-building option is available to visitors planning a trip to Indigenous destinations. Big, bold photos, engaging information, and powerful trip-planning tools for travelers—it’s all on NativeAmerica.travel.
“As our American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian partners look to expand awareness for their tourism programs internationally, they join AIANTA at IPW to meet with international tour operators, media and other buyers to showcase the transformative and authentic experiences visitors can only find in Native Nations and communities across the U.S.,” Sherry L. Rupert, AIANTA Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud to introduce NativeAmerica.Travel’s new booking tool during this signature international event, as interest continues to grow among global travelers who want to discover cultural heritage tourism and our Indigenous communities.”
Attended by more than 5,700 international and domestic travel buyers, travel suppliers and international journalists, AIANTA was thrilled to welcome Indigenous exhibitors from across seven U.S. Native Nations and communities to its shared booth and Tribal Row. Together, participants presented a cohesive tribal tourism message and provided participants with enhanced marketing opportunities through cross-promotional efforts as well as pre-show technical assistance and training. This year AIANTA welcomed:
- Akwesasne Travel
- Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours
- Good Words Travel, LLC
- Nez Perce Tourism
- Tse Bighanilini Tours
- Ken’s Tours at Lower Antelope Canyon
- Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (On IPW’s Tribal Row)
Travel serves as a catalyst for a productive U.S. economy and helps power the success of other industries. American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-owned hospitality businesses contribute $15.7 billion in annual sales to the tourism and hospitality sector in the U.S., according to the Economic Impact of U.S. Indigenous Tourism Businesses Report, produced by AIANTA in partnership with Honolulu-based SMS Research.
For more than 25 years, AIANTA has worked to address inequities in the tourism system and has served as the national voice for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian nations engaged in cultural tourism, while providing technical assistance, training and capacity building to Native Nations and communities and Native-owned enterprises engaged in tourism, hospitality, and recreation.
Native Nations and communities who are looking to start or expand their cultural tourism footprint can find resources at www.aianta.org and visitors interested in learning more about Native culture can visit www.nativeamerica.travel.