Established in March 2012, the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA) is a global organisation founded by leading Indigenous tourism bodies from six countries. Founding members include the Indigenous Tourism Association of British Columbia (Canada), the Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council (Australia), the Indigenous Tourism Alliance (Australia), NZ Māori Tourism (Aotearoa New Zealand), Sámi Tourism (Nordic countries), and the Trans-Himalayan Environment and Livelihood Program (T-HELP).
The formation of WINTA was inspired by Indigenous leaders of the Larrakia people of Australia, on whose ancestral lands the founding vision was articulated. Following its establishment, WINTA adopted the Larrakia Declaration, affirming Indigenous leadership, self-determination, and cultural integrity in tourism development.
WINTA is an Indigenous Peoples–led global network committed to advancing the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) through tourism. Its mission is to foster respectful, equitable, and sustainable Indigenous tourism by building collaborative partnerships among Indigenous communities, tourism enterprises, governments, academic institutions, and non-governmental organisations worldwide.
Since 2018, WINTA has convened the biennial World Indigenous Tourism Summit (WITS) as a flagship platform for global dialogue. The Summit serves as a space for Indigenous-led research, policy exchange, knowledge-sharing, and the co-creation of strategies that strengthen Indigenous tourism ecosystems and support community wellbeing, cultural revitalisation, and economic self-determination.
Through WITS 2026 in Johannesburg, Gauteng province, South Africa, WINTA continues its commitment to deepening international collaboration, amplifying Indigenous voices, and advancing the flourishing of Indigenous tourism as a pathway to inclusive and regenerative development.
