Crushing It at the Mountain Travel Symposium: Sharing What Real Collaboration Looks Like
Hey friends,
Just wrapped an unforgettable week at the Mountain Travel Symposium (MTS) in Whistler - the biggest gathering of mountain travel pros on the planet, and I’m still buzzing.
I had the honour of stepping on stage for the general session “Courageous Collaboration: Co-Creating Tourism Experiences with Indigenous Communities.” No fluff, no performative checkboxes - just straight talk on how authentic partnerships with First Nations drive real growth, richer guest experiences, and shared success. I drew from my years pioneering the Indigenous Relations Specialist role at Whistler Blackcomb (grounded in that historic 50-year agreement), my work with ILSAcrew, and lessons from advisory roles across the industry.
The room was packed with executives, marketers, and destination leaders hungry for practical, respect-based approaches. The energy was electric, lots of great questions, nods of recognition, and even a few “we need to do this” moments. MTS also dropped a slick video on their Instagram highlighting the session, which felt like the perfect mic-drop.
For the snowboarders and adventure seekers reading this: imagine tourism that actually honours the land and the people who’ve stewarded it for millennia. For business execs: this isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s smart business that opens doors and builds loyalty. And for my Indigenous relatives and partners: we’re moving the needle, one courageous conversation at a time.
Big thanks to the MTS crew for the invite and the platform. Grateful to keep representing Anishinaabe values, ILSA, and the next generation of Indigenous leaders in sport and outdoor recreation.
If your organization is ready to move beyond talk and build genuine relationships in action sports, adventure tourism, or mountain destinations - let’s chat. I’m always up for a coffee (or a hot sauce tasting) and a real conversation.
Onward, Court “Blackbird” Larabee Anishinaabe Leader | Indigenous Relations Specialist
