The Travel Corporation’s tour brands are adding indigenous experiences: Travel Weekly

The Travel Corporation’s tour brands are adding new indigenous travel experiences to existing itineraries in North America and Australia to support and promote tribal tourism.

Trafalgar, Contiki, Luxury Gold and Insight Vacations will incorporate educational experiences that highlight indigenous cultures of the destinations visited, immersing guests in activities that focus on traditional crafts, culinary and spiritual practices and ceremonies that have been passed down through generations.

Guided vacation tour company Trafalgar will add a visit to the Rosebud Sioux reservation to its nine-day National Parks and Native Trails of the Dakotas itinerary beginning in May 2023. The group will meet with the Lakota Youth Development, a program that connects young people with their native culture and lifestyle. Guests can expect to taste a traditional Lakota meal and the ingredients used, followed by a guided walk that examines the medicinal and ceremonial uses of wild edible plants.

Contiki Tours, the social tour company for 18- to 35-year-olds, is adding a visit with the Warrior Women collective of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation to its 10-night Canada and the Rockies itinerary that journeys through British Columbia and Alberta. Warrior Women is a mother-daughter drumming group that shares stories of the Cree through performances, workshops, tour shows and other guided experiences. The visit will be hosted on First Nation land located on the grounds of Jasper National Park, and guests can expect to learn about the tradition of drum-making, leather binding and moccasin and mitten-making. The first departures begin on Aug. 14.

Insight Vacations, a premium tour company, has launched visits that highlight the ceremonies of the Abegweit Mi’Kmaw Nation of Prince Edward Island through its 12-day Landscapes of the Canadian Maritimes itinerary. Guests can expect to participate in a smudging ceremony, honor song and dance and learn about the group’s sacred teachings.

And Luxury Gold will introduce guests to Australia’s aboriginal culture with walking tours through historical neighborhoods on its 13-day Inspiring Australia itinerary. Guests can expect a guided tour through the rainforests of Daintree National Park with a local expert to learn about the Kuku Yalanji people who live there. Departures begin in early November.