COTA Newsletter: Fall 2023
COTA's latest newsletter is out! In this issue, you'll read about: Your obligations under Bill 25 How boil-in-a-bag meals are bringing gourmet Cree food to outfitters The launch of the Northern Action Plan 2023-2028 Funding program announcements ...and more!...
Permanent Closure: Eeyou Istchee Baie-James Travel (EIBJT)
Due to circumstances beyond our control, Eeyou Istchee Baie-James Travel Agency must permanently close its doors. We want to express our sincere gratitude to all our customers for their trust and loyalty, as well as to our partners for their unwavering support...
COTA, Wiinipaakw Confirm Creetopia Site Destroyed by Forest Fires
Waskaganish, Québec, July 11, 2023 – The Cree Outfitting and Tourism Association (COTA) and Wiinipaakw Tours are deeply saddened to share that the Creetopia base camp was among the sites destroyed by forest fires in Northern Quebec. This news was confirmed by public...
COTA Inspires Future Tourism Leaders with Essay Contest and Conference Trip Giveaway
Oujé-Bougoumou, June 27, 2023 – Cree adults considering a career in tourism now have the chance to win an all-expense paid trip to the International Indigenous Tourism Conference in Ottawa this February, thanks to an essay contest organized by the Cree Outfitting and...
First-ever Cree Knowledge Festival in Eeyou Istchee – a Resounding Success
Chisasibi, Québec, March 26, 2023 – On March 26 of this year, CNACA, COTA and the CTA worked together to host the first ever Cree Knowledge Festival broadcast live from the Cree Nation of Chisasibi. “As Chief of the host community, I am honoured to have participated...
Cree-owned Nibiischii Corporation Nationally Recognized for Tourism Excellence
MISTISSINI, QC -- Capping off a remarkable year of innovation and renewal in Eeyou Istchee’s tourism sector, the Nibiischii Corporation has been proudly recognized by two major tourism awards in Quebec and Canada. Nibiischii, an Eeyou/Eenou-managed company that...
Government of Québec to Invest $3,381,781 in Tourism in Eeyou Istchee Supporting the Recovery of Cree Tourism
Oujé-Bougoumou, Québec, June 29, 2022 – On May 6 of this year, as part of the Ministère du Tourisme plan to revive the regional tourism industry in Québec, it was announced that an additional $92 million would be invested in the Québec’s 21 tourism regions. For Eeyou...
Visitors’ Guidelines
COTA’s mission is to develop and implement a collective vision for a world-class sustainable tourism industry in Eeyou Istchee, that is in harmony with Cree culture and values, and that involves a partnership among Cree communities, institutions and businesses. One...
Wiinipaakw Tours Solidarity Co-op (WTSC)
Wiinipaakw Tours Solidarity Cooperative (WTSC) is a Cree owned non-profit organization created in April 2018 under Québec law “Loi sur les Coopératives”. WTSC’s mission is to develop sustainable coastal tourism in Eeyou Istchee, respecting authentic Cree culture and...
Canada’s Indigenous Tourism Sector: Insights and Economic Impacts
In 2019, the Conference Board of Canada published an eye-opening report titled Canada’s Indigenous Tourism Sector: Insights and Economic Impacts. This report was commissioned by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) to "profile and assess the economic...