NATIVE Act signed into law

Legislation to integrate Native tourism, empower Native communities and expand cultural tourism opportunities was signed into law on Sept. 26 by President Obama.

The Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act, sponsored by Sen. Brian Schatz, D-HI, requires federal agencies with tourism assets and responsibilities to coordinate and collaborate with Native entities in their strategic planning.

It would also provide Native Alaska, Native Hawaiian and American Indian communities with access to resources and technical assistance needed to build sustainable recreational and cultural travel and tourism infrastructure capacity, promote economic development and create jobs.

Senators Lisa Murkowski, and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, were among the co-sponsors of the Senate bill, and Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, co-sponsored companion legislation in the House.

“This is an incredibly important day for Indian Country tourism, the beginning of an important collaboration between the federal, tribal and nonprofit sectors to strengthen and grow cultural heritage tourism in the U.S.,” said Sherry L. Rupert, board president of the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association in Washington D.C. Rupert credited Schatz, Sen. John Thune, R-SD, and Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, for shepherding the legislation through Congress.

Rupert said that tourism in the U.S. and in Indian Country is one of the largest and fastest growing sectors of economic development and job creation in the United States. She cited U.S. Department of Commerce figures that show international tourism to Indian Country grew by 181 percent from 2007 to 2015, resulting in $8.6 billion in direct spending.

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The legislation also had support from the U.S. Travel Association, Southeast Tourism Society, Western States Tourism Policy Council, National Congress of American Indians, Alaska Federation of Natives and the Native Enterprise Initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Read the bill online at 

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1579/text

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