The Rupert Report

From the Desk of AIANTA's CEO | March 13, 2023

Lorraine Gala-Lewis & her stunning artwork at the

2023 Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market

AIANTA Highlights for the Coming Week

Go International Preview: Marketing the

Mission of your Business

March 14, 2023 10:00 a.m. (Mountain)

AIANTA presented the Go International Preview Webinar with a segment on Marketing the Mission of your Business, presented by AIANTA Visitor Outreach Manager, Ciarra Greene and Nez Perce Tourism CEO, Stacia Morfin.

This webinar provided an overview of the upcoming Go International two-day training conference, which gathers tribal tourism professionals, industry representatives and entrepreneurs to support attendees in their journey into the international markets. The 7th Annual Go International conference is scheduled for April 18 - 19, 2023 and in preparation, the Marketing the Mission of your Business segment is prepared to make your mission statement the foundation of your business and maximize your exposure to international customers. You'll learn the steps to establish, elevate, and leverage your mission statement to achieve success in the international markets. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to make your mission statement the cornerstone of your business and to make a lasting impression in the international marketplace.

The webinar recording will be available promptly and can be located under the

On-Demand Webinars on the AIANTA website.

Join us at Go International

AIANTA offers the annual two-day Go International training conference, designed to introduce the international market to Tribes, Tribal businesses, and Native Hawaiian businesses and support participants to identify their tourism product(s) for pricing, packaging, and selling to markets overseas.

Tribal tourism professionals, industry representatives and entrepreneurs gather to:

• Hear from expert speakers from throughout the national and international tourism industry
• Connect and network with one another around shared vision and goals for business, Indian Country and tourism development
• Advance and develop their businesses, careers and tourism ventures
• Gain an understanding of what is needed and how to participate in international markets

AITC Call for Speakers!

AIANTA is now accepting speaker proposals for breakout sessions during the 25th Annual American Indian Tourism Conference (AITC) held October 2-5, 2023 and hosted by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma at the Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant. More than 300 tourism professionals, including tribal professionals, Native American entrepreneurs, federal, regional and national experts gather at AITC to participate in education sessions, attend an array of events, network, connect with potential partners in the exhibit hall and patronize Native American artisans.

The submission application and guidelines can be found below or on the AIANTA website.

AIANTA Tourism & Hospitality Scholarship

AIANTA is proud to offer the Tourism & Hospitality Scholarship, which provides American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students with financial assistance towards a degree or certificate in hospitality, tourism, recreation, culinary arts or related fields.

Each year, AIANTA awards five individuals who have met all scholarship application criteria. Award Amount: Students are awarded $1,000 per semester (fall and spring semester only). Each student can earn a maximum award of $2,000 per academic school year.

The deadline to apply is April 28, 2023 (Academic School Year 2023- 2024).

For more information, please click on the apply now button below.

Become a Sponsor for AITC

Now entering its 25th year, the Annual American Indian Tourism Conference (AITC) is the only national conference dedicated to growing tourism in America’s indigenous communities.

Every year the conference attracts more than 300 attendees, who attend for the networking opportunities, the high-level keynote sessions and the informative breakout sessions led by some of the leading hospitality industry experts. At our first-ever virtual conference we had 800 registrants. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of AITC you can find the sponsor prospectus below.