Delegates to Rendez-vous Canada 2016 who are seeking ways to broaden their programs and offer new experiences to their clients would do well to visit the Aboriginal Showcase section at the travel marketplace at the Palais de Congres de Montreal.

This year’s RVC 2016 in Montreal will mark the biggest gathering to date of First Nations firms at the show, with 30. This is the second year for an Aboriginal Showcase at RVC and the number of attending companies has almost doubled compared to 2015.

“I expect significant excitement from buyers within international and domestic markets, given the growth of our industry,” said Keith Henry, the CEO of the Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada (ATAC). “We are working to ensure effective buyer appointments for the Aboriginal tourism businesses and planning additional marketing tactics during RVC.”

A new five-year plan by the ATAC will drive an annual increase of Canadian GDP from First Nations tourism by $300 million over the next five years. By 2021, the Indigenous tourism industry in Canada is forecast to employ a total of 40,233 workers and have 50 new tourism operators at export-ready status.