The Huu-ay-aht First Nations is establishing a tourism fee program in the Bamfield area to support the Nation's development of ecological and cultural stewardship to strengthen local tourism through a new project investment with Island Coastal Economic Trust.

Huu-ay-aht First Nations is a self-governing modern treaty Nation whose lands cover the Barclay Sound on the Vancouver Island's west coast, in the Anacla region between Bamfield and Port Alberni.
Photo credit : Visit Bamfield
 

The program is modeled after the Tribal Park Allies Initiative, launched by the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation in 2018. This strategy invites businesses and organizations to sign a protocol agreement that commits them to contribute a 1% Ecosystem Service Fee to fund action items defined in community plans, such as environmental and cultural stewardship initiatives. With new road infrastructure improving access to Bamfield and Huu-ay-aht First Nations' traditional territory, Huu-ay-aht is expecting a major influx of tourism visitation. Development of new partnerships with local businesses and tourism operators will create a revenue stream that will be directly reinvested in long-term stewardship of Huu-ay-aht territories enabling sustainable tourism development.

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