American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA)

17/08/2025

📣🌟We are thrilled to welcome Deborah Torres, CEO, Passport to Pueblo Country Fine Art Gallery and Pueblo Tours as a breakout speaker at AITC!

Deborah Torres (San Ildefonso and Isleta Pueblo), is a Native entrepreneur, cultural preservation advocate, and tribal liaison based in New Mexico. She is the founder of Passport to Pueblo Country and serves as the Tribal Liaison for the City of Santa Fe’s Economic Development Department. With deep roots in San Ildefonso Pueblo and over two decades of experience in Indigenous tourism, policy, and community engagement, Deborah is dedicated to creating culturally grounded, sustainable opportunities that uplift Native voices and traditions.

🔗 Have you registered for AITC? https://www.aianta.org/aitc/

15/08/2025

📣 WE ARE HIRING! The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) is looking for a Digital Content & Social Media Specialist (remote position) to join our vibrant team!

⏰ Deadline: TODAY, August 15, 2025

🌟 AIANTA is excited to announce an outstanding career opportunity for the position of Digital Content & Social Media Specialist. As the Digital Content & Social Media Specialist, you will play a key role in creating written and visual content with a consistent voice on Indigenous Tourism for NativeAmerica.travel, AIANTA publications, social media channels, and other promotions.

🔗 Find the full job description on AIANTA.org or by clicking here: https://bit.ly/AIANTAJobs

🖥 To Apply:
Interested candidates are invited to submit their cover letter, resume/vitae, and 3 professional references to Ariel Richardson, Office Manager, AIANTA at [email protected] by today,August 15, 2025, 5:00 p.m. MT. Please specify “Digital Content & Social Media Specialist” in the subject line

14/08/2025

📣🌟We are thrilled to welcome Tammi Tiger, Director of Tribal Education at the University of Nevada Las Vegas as a breakout speaker at AITC!

As the founding Director of the Tribal Education Initiative, Tammi is focused on developing future generations of leaders in Tribal gaming & hospitality enterprises through a world-class education at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her career in public service started with Clark County, department of Public Works where she spent 25 years in administration and operational support for the engineering, construction and maintenance of public infrastructure with one of the largest counties in the nation and home to the iconic Las Vegas Strip. Ms. Tiger is appointed to the governing board of the Nevada Department of Native American Affairs and the NV Secretary of State’s Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy. She obtained a Master’s degree of Public Administration from UNLV, where she is also one of the founding members of the UNLV Native American Alumni association. Tammi Tiger is a citizen of The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and a descendant of Muscogee and Seminole nations.

🔗 Have you registered for AITC? https://www.aianta.org/aitc/

14/08/2025

📣🗞 We’re thrilled to share that AIANTA and our members are currently featured in a story titled, “Exploring Native Lands: Indigenous-Led Tourism is Dispelling Myths While Preserving Cultures” published by American Indian Magazine (the member magazine for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian) written by journalist Elizabeth Miller.

🌟 Several months in the making, this article includes thought leadership from AIANTA’s CEO Sherry L Rupert throughout the story where she shares the origins of the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA), inequities in the tourism industry for Indigenous peoples, educating travelers on proper terminology for Native Nations and communities in the U.S. through AIANTA’s upcoming accreditation program. The story also includes perspectives from AIANTA members Kodiak Brown Bear Center, and more.

💡“Right now, we’re kind of disconnected, disjointed, because the tourism industry hasn’t really been set up for our success as Native nations,” Rupert said. Local visitor centers or tourism departments, which often rely on hotel room taxes, often leave Native nations out of marketing efforts in part because even if that tribe runs a hotel, those hotel room taxes likely go back to the tribe rather than the state tourism fund for advertising. “Oftentimes our Indigenous destinations and experiences are trying to do all of this on their own,” Rupert said. “You could have an amazing experience, an amazing destination, but if nobody knows about it, they’re not going to come.”

🔗 Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/47qXHze

14/08/2025

📣 Interested in attending the 27th Annual American Indigenous Tourism Conference?

🚌 Sponsored by Visit Mississippi, complimentary shuttle service to and from Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (Airport Code JAN) in Jackson, MS and Pearl River Resort is available to all registered AITC attendees. Guests must complete the Transportation Request Form by September 28, 2025 to secure roundtrip airport transportation. Scan the QR code in this graphic to register for the complimentary shuttle service!

🔗 Additional hotel/travel details and discount codes can be found our website here: https://www.aianta.org/aitc/hotel-travel/

13/08/2025

📣🗞 AIANTA and members were featured in Forbes this week in a story titled, “Life-Changing! Sustainable Travel With The Navajo” written by journalist Rona Berg.

💡The story highlights a custom itinerary that AIANTA created for the journalist with our members and partners, AIANTA’s thought leadership as well educating travelers to visit NativeAmerica.Travel when planning their trips. Featured members and partnerships include the Navajo Nation, Navajo Parks & Recreation, Tse Bighanilini Tours, Black Streak Canyon Tours , Shash Dine' Eco-Retreat: A Glamping Hotel, Dixie's Lower Antelope Canyon Tours, Dineh Tours, and Red Heritage who helped make this visit possible.

🖊 “There are 574 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages, according to the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA). Not all host sustainable travel experiences, but fortunately, many do. It’s easy to book a trip through NativeAmerica.Travel. In the Navajo Nation area near Page, AZ, the award-winning Navajo tour operators highlighted in this story all offer an incredible experience.”

🔗 Full story here: https://bit.ly/415f1Ge

🗞 In January 2025, the story titled, “The Growth Of Indigenous Travel And Responsible Tourism” was published by Rona as part one from this experience. That story was jam-packed with AIANTA history, perspective, educational tools and much more in the transformative travel story. 🔗 Check it out here: https://bit.ly/3JeprNF

12/08/2025

📣 Adventure.com recently featured AIANTA and CEO Sherry L Rupert in an article titled, "A Guide to Tracing Route 66's Indigenous Stories Across New Mexico" where journalist Karen Gardiner highlighted AIANTA's guidebook - American Indians and Route 66.

💡The journalist writes - I ask Rupert what she wants travelers to get out of an Indigenous-focused trip along Route 66. “To understand that we’re not a historic people,” she answers. “We’re not just a likeness on a sign. We are still here.”

🔗 View the story here: https://adventure.com/guide-route-66-indigenous-stories-new-mexico/

📖 View the guidebook American Indians and Route 66 here: http://bit.ly/479YNQ7

Instead of chasing kitschy Americana, writer Karen Gardiner seeks out Route 66's Indigenous stories, history and experiences.

12/08/2025

📣 WE ARE HIRING! The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) is looking for a Digital Content & Social Media Specialist (remote position) to join our vibrant team!

⏰ Deadline: Friday, August 15, 2025

🌟 AIANTA is excited to announce an outstanding career opportunity for the position of Digital Content & Social Media Specialist. As the Digital Content & Social Media Specialist, you will play a key role in creating written and visual content with a consistent voice on Indigenous Tourism for NativeAmerica.travel, AIANTA publications, social media channels, and other promotions.

🔗 Find the full job description on AIANTA.org or by clicking here: https://bit.ly/AIANTAJobs

🖥 To Apply:
Interested candidates are invited to submit their cover letter, resume/vitae, and 3 professional references to Ariel Richardson, Office Manager, AIANTA at [email protected] by August 15, 2025, 5:00 p.m. MT. Please specify “Digital Content & Social Media Specialist” in the subject line.

11/08/2025

📣 FREE WEBINAR! Creating Project Logic Models on August 19!

🌟 A strong logic model is the backbone of a compelling federal grant proposal--and often the first thing reviewers look at. These connect your vision to concrete actions and measurable results. Join us for a training webinar designed to guide tribal tourism professionals and Native organizations through the process of creating project logic models. This session will break down each component of a logic model, including inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes, and show you how to align your project design with federal funder expectations. Whether you're starting from scratch or refining an existing concept, this webinar will help you clearly communicate your project’s strategy and value.

💡Speakers:
- Aly Sanchez, MBA GPC Director of Strategy and Organizational Development, The Grant Plant, Inc.
- Laurel Meister Schmuck, GPC, Senior Resource Development Officer, The Grant Plant
- Hannah Peterson Program Development Director, American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA)

⏰ Date & Time: August 19, 2025 10:00 a.m. MT / 12:00 p.m. ET

🔗 Register at https://tinyurl.com/AIANTA2025WebinarAUG19

11/08/2025

📣 AIANTA & Arizona State University Certificate Program to be Offered in Fall 2025 - Only 8 Spots Left!

💡Offered in partnership by AIANTA and Arizona State University’s Center for Sustainable Tourism, this online certificate program explores tourism’s impact on Native communities and how to develop long-term, sustainable tourism strategies.

✨ Designed for Indigenous tourism professionals, the program includes seven weekly modules and an optional final project. Each module requires 5–6 hours per week and features Native-focused case studies, interactive content and self-guided learning.

⏰ Registration Deadline: October 6, 2025
💡Course Dates: October 13 - November 28, 2025

🔗 Register Here! https://bit.ly/4h7odjS

08/08/2025

📣 It's back! Our Business of Art Seminar at the 27th Annual American Indigenous Tourism Conference!
⏰ Monday, October 27, 2025 – 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. central time.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/ekHXqmsi
🌟 Share with an artisan who may be interested in this annual event!