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- By AIANTA
“Engaging with the Native people has a powerful effect.”
“If you go out to Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde or Acoma Pueblo, you come away in absolute awe of the history, the sophistication of the architecture and agricultural calendars. You develop an immediate appreciation for all of these communities."
- Richard Launder, President & CEO
Destination America
Tour Operators are Seeking Indigenous Experiences
Richard Launder, President & CEO of Destination America is not alone in his feelings about the transformative experiences only found in Native destinations. Increasingly, major tour companies are adding Native tourism experiences. Recent headlines include:
- Eight New USA Experiences that Amplify and Celebrate BIPOC culture
- These Travel Companies are Setting a New Standard in Responsible Tourism
- G Adventures Connects Travelers to Local Communities on a Deeper Level
- The Comeback Trail: Engaging with Native People Has a Powerful Effect
Economic Benefits of Working with Tour Operators and Wholesalers
Working with these tour companies can bring huge economic benefits to Native communities. They provide the opportunity for Native people to share their stories in their own voices while also bringing in revenue and creating jobs for tribal members.
Intrepid, for example, calls itself a "small" tour operator but sends more than 100,000 travelers a year on "grassroots and responsible travel tours." Similarly, G Adventures serves some 200,000 passengers a year. The Travel Corporation, the parent company of Destination America, encompasses 40 global brands, which collectively serve more than a million guests every year.
Competition for inclusion in travel packages is incredibly fierce. Each organization's needs are unique, but they all start with needing irresistible travel packages that appeal to their guests.
AIANTA's Go International provides Native and tribal businesses with the tools they need to successfully work with the travel trade.
Expert speakers and hands-on presentations will help guide you in building your product(s) and promoting them to tour operators, wholesalers, domestic and international group travelers and travel media.
Register for Go International Now
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
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The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
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Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher