--- title: "Associations Back Plan Boosting Native American Tourism" id: "33158" type: "post" slug: "associations-back-plan-boosting-native-american-tourism" published_at: "2016-04-29T21:40:56+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T16:02:04+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/04/29/associations-back-plan-boosting-native-american-tourism/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/04/29/associations-back-plan-boosting-native-american-tourism.md" excerpt: "With the recent passage of a bill in the Senate, native populations in the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii could get extra marketing help for their tourism efforts—an area where at least one industry group has been focusing much of..." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "Marketing" - "Native American" - "tourism" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Associations Back Plan Boosting Native American Tourism Someday soon tourism in the United States could do a better job of illustrating all of the country’s history. Earlier this week, [the Senate passed the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act (opens in a new tab)](http://bigislandnow.com/2016/04/26/u-s-senate-passes-native-act-co-introduced-by-schatz/) , which would encourage the federal government to better integrate tourism opportunities from native populations, including those offered by Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, and American Indians. A corresponding bill in the House, which has yet to pass, was introduced last year. The Senate bill’s unanimous passage, driven by a wide array of legislative sponsors, was supported by the U.S. Travel Association, which noted the potential ripple effects the law could have on local economies. “The NATIVE Act expands opportunities to promote tourism to these lands,” U.S. Travel President and CEO Roger Dow said, [according to Big Island Now (opens in a new tab)](http://bigislandnow.com/2016/04/26/u-s-senate-passes-native-act-co-introduced-by-schatz/) . “International travelers to Indian country often have a greater impact on the local economy than other visitors—staying longer, visiting more states and regions, and spending more on travel service—and the NATIVE Act will harness that effect for these communities.” The bill could have a wide effect on native tourism. With 5.2 million [American Indians and Native Alaskans (opens in a new tab)](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/aianta/pdfs/Native-America-Travel-FAQ.pdf) [PDF] representing 567 federally recognized and 60 state-recognized tribes, the Native American population represents 2 percent of the total U.S. population. Additional marketing and promotion could help native populations attract additional revenue from tourism—a sector that drew $1.6 trillion in economic output in 2014, [according to the U.S. International Trade Administration (opens in a new tab)](http://travel.trade.gov/outreachpages/download_data_table/Fast_Facts_2014.pdf) [PDF]. But beyond the Senate bill’s passage, native tourism groups have been taking big steps to drive interest in travel and tourism opportunities involving native populations. Last fall, for example, the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) announced the launch of a new website, [NativeAmerica.travel (opens in a new tab)](https://nativeamerica.travel/) , designed to highlight and introduce such offerings to tourists. The group, which represents native tribes, tribal businesses, and entrepreneurs, sees a lot of potential in the new website. Camille Ferguson, AIANTA’s executive director, noted that the group was making the website open to both federally and state-recognized tribes, as well as Native Hawaiians who would like their tourism offerings highlighted on the website. “Promoting Native America as a whole to travel consumers gives us the unique opportunity to share the multitude of destinations and diversity within American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian cultures,” [Ferguson said in a news release last fall (opens in a new tab)](http://www.nativetimes.com/index.php/life/travel/12129-aianta-launches-american-indian-tourism-destination-website-nativeamerica-travel) . “This website is an exciting step in educating the world that there are unparalleled travel experiences to be had through the varied and vibrant communities that make up Indian Country.” (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#Marketing](https://associationsnow.com/tag/marketing/) [#Native American](https://associationsnow.com/tag/native-american/) [#tourism](https://associationsnow.com/tag/tourism/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoMessage from Adam Burke, President & CEO for Los Angeles TourismJune 18, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/18/message-from-adam-burke-president-ceo-for-los-angeles-tourism/) - [VideoMessage from Kathy McAdams Senior Vice President, Convention Sales for Los Angeles TourismJuly 10, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/07/10/message-from-kathy-mcadams-senior-vice-president-convention-sales-for-los-angeles-tourism/) - [VideoUsing DEI to Create Welcoming EnvironmentsAugust 29, 2023](https://associationsnow.com/2023/08/29/using-dei-to-create-welcoming-environments/) - [VideoRecap from the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 19, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/19/recap-from-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2016%2F04%2F29%2Fassociations-back-plan-boosting-native-american-tourism%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !