Founded in 2002 by Candace and Larry Campo, Shíshálh (Sechelt) and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation members, Talaysay Tours is an Indigenous company offering tours around First Nation landmarks and points of interest in Vancouver's Stanley Park. Masters of educational and inspirational land-based learning, Talaysay Tours has not only made its mark in the traditional Vancouver tourism industry but, thanks to the Talaysay Tours App, has merged the lore and legends of First Nations history with innovative and modern technology, creating an engaging and convenient experience at users fingertips.
Commitment to Authentic Representation of Indigenous Culture
The key component behind Talaysay Tours' success is their commitment to providing informative, respectful, and accurate depictions of their rich Indigenous cultural heritage in the face of adverse representation by mainstream media platforms. Often faced with misrepresentation, stereotyping, and economic and political barriers, creating a space that challenges these ideas by exposing guests to the truth and history behind their people is at the heart of Talaysay Tours' mission. "Educating the public and overcoming long-held misconceptions requires consistent effort," explains Talaysay Campo, daughter of Candace and Larry Campo and co-owner of Talaysay Tours. "Respect for cultural protocols and establishing guidelines for respectful engagement are necessary to prevent unintentional disrespect."
Indigenous culture is deeply rooted in the Campo family's heritage. Coupled with Talaysay's experience in the tourism and education sectors and the family's dedication to cultural revitalization, Talaysay Tours "remains a beacon of genuine Indigenous representation, providing visitors with meaningful and transformative experiences while empowering our community to reclaim and celebrate our culture," Talaysay proclaims.
An Opportunity for Innovation
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic had many negative impacts on companies all over the world, with a large number of businesses forced to pause and even cease operations. Confronted face to face with these issues, the team at Talaysay Tours knew they would need to make some drastic changes to how they operate in order to ensure the survival of their business post-pandemic.
In collaboration with Tamar Kozlov, Candace, Larry, and Talaysay Campo came up with the idea of offering their tours virtually to people all over the world. Along with engaging and intimate videography provided by Tamar, the team was able to create a virtual learning space where audiences could interact and ask questions from the safety of their homes. Tamar is certain that in a time of isolation and loneliness, "these tours brought nature, connectivity, and authentic Indigenous experiences to people around the world."
Around this time, the Talaysay Tours team realized they could truly leverage their business by integrating technology and social media into their day-to-day operations post-pandemic. Social media video campaigns became a key tool for the team, and soon they began posting video vignettes called 'Indigenous Ways of Knowing.' These 30-second videos delve into one Indigenous fact per clip. Social media followers were drawn towards these videos, and Tamar could understand why. "There is so much incredible and calculated knowledge sharing that goes on at Talaysay Tours that even to receive one tidbit feels so enriching. At the end of a 30-second video, you may have learned something that can stay with you forever and change the way you see the world."
The Birth of the Talaysay Tours App: Stanley Park
With a whole new virtual world available to them based on the success of the virtual tours, the Talaysay team brainstormed ideas of how they could embrace this innovation and make it a key component in their day-to-day operations. Fast-forward a year, and with the help of Tamar's programmer husband, Nir Blootrich, and Creative BC Interactive Fund grant, the Talaysay Tours App was born.
The Talaysay Tours App allows you to explore areas such as Beaver Lake and Totem Pole Park with a tour guide at your fingertips. A GPS-triggered video player opens a video of a Talaysay Tour guide talking about the exact plant, artwork, or berry bush you are standing in front of. There are also many games in the App that allow you to learn plant identification, language, and geography through play.
The App's success is notable and benefits both the team at Talaysay Tours and their guests. Talaysay Tours can now provide tours to all interested visitors without adding extra hours to tour guides' already busy schedules. It has scaled the business to an unreachable level compared to the team relying on staffing alone. It also allows guests to access Talaysay Tours at their convenience. "It's up to you how to experience the App," Tamar explains. "I often see people writing information in notebooks while on a Talaysay Tour, wanting to hold onto the knowledge being shared with them. But with the App, they have that knowledge forever and can access it in such a fun and engaging way."
What Does the Future Hold?
As the team expands further into the technological world and looks to innovation to enhance its model, the opportunities for Talaysay Tours are endless.
With hopes to expand the Talaysay Tours App into other First Nations regions such as the Sunshine Coast and Whistler, Talaysay explains the importance of other Nations being open to having the app on their land. "By collaborating closely with Indigenous elders and community members, it will ensure that our narratives remain true to their origins."
One legacy that shines through in everything that the team at Talaysay Tours does is the dedication to depict the immense wisdom of Indigenous knowledge authentically. "When it comes to working with Indigenous culture keepers, one always has to follow their guidance," Tamar notes humbly. "I have found that the more I learn about Indigenous culture, the more I realize how little I know. I will always bring innovative video storytelling ideas to the people I work with. Ultimately, those ideas must work within the umbrella of Indigenous protocol, traditions, teachings, and culture sharing."
There is no doubt that, with the team's experience protecting Indigenous culture and their ability to adapt these teachings in new and respectful ways, Talaysay Tours is leading the way in Indigenous Tourism in the modern world.
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