A Legacy Launched for Cultural Entrepreneurs

‘In order for us to preserve our culture and empower our community socially and economically we need to utilize tourism as a vehicle and use AIM Authentic Indigenous Moments^™to drive us into the future’ says Titus Shecapio – Economic Development Manager for the Cree Nation of Mistissini, QC.  

Canadian Ecotourism Services (CES) is proud to officially launch its AIM Authentic Indigenous Moments^™ platform. This platform allows cultural entrepreneurs to supply their services and experiences directly to tourists, while preserving and sharing their culture with experiential activities ranging anywhere from an hour to a full day.  

CES’ founder - Clinton Belcher - developed AIM Authentic Indigenous Moments^™as a legacy project to empower local cultural entrepreneurs to do what they love.  Throughout his travels he recognized the challenges faced by cultural preservers to effectively share their knowledge with tourists.  Often their ideas or moments had to be translated into an extensive business plan, and moreover, they were expected to manage the business side of the activity making it almost impossible to get their idea of the ground.

Clinton says the industry needs to recognize that without cultural entrepreneurs there will be no Indigenous tourism, and the only way to build Indigenous tourism is to use grassroots tourism solutions and empower the people who are keepers of knowledge and culture.  

With AIM Authentic Indigenous Moments^™ they join a community serviced by a platform that takes care of their accounting, branding, marketing, and booking service. All the entrepreneur has to do is confirm their booking and go out and do what they love - without a full-time commitment or unrealistic start-up costs.

Clinton gives all the credit to champions like Titus Shecapio and Conrad Mianscum of the Cree Nation of Mistissini who have purchased the AIM^™ program for their tourism department, which includes developing an effective business model and training. 

Mistissini’s AIM Authentic Indigenous Moments^™project will launch in early 2019.