Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO) is the province’s first and only dedicated Indigenous tourism organization that focuses on uniting communities, Indigenous organizations and industry leaders to support the growth of Indigenous tourism in Ontario. Through product development and marketing of authentic Indigenous experiences, ITO establishes a platform for Indigenous cultural expression and preservation through tourism.

BIO

Scott Mercs is Special projects Consultant and Marketing Lead for Indigenous Tourism Ontario. Scott has worked and travelled across Canada, and has been with ITO for four years. Prior to that, Scott was Economic Development Officer for Hiawatha First Nation, Hotel and Resort Manager for the Kwakiutl and Gwasala Nakwax’da First Nations, and a Hotel Manager for Inns North, an Arctic Hotel Chain in Nunavut with 100% Inuit ownership.Scott will talk about ITO’s Northern Ontario Indigenous Tourism Corridor Strategy, and summarize the research, planning and execution of our Strategy. ITO visited 24 Indigenous communities in the Georgian Bay, Lake Huron and Lake Superior region this past summer, and consulted countless stakeholders and business owners, to provide the basis for the creation of 3-5 Indigenous Tourism visitor itineraries for this beautiful region.