Zane Buchanan’s path to becoming a destination marketing content producer at the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) was anything but predictable. His deep background in journalism and reporting plays a big role in his approach, but what truly sets him apart is a mix of empathy, humility, and a constant quest for uncovering new ideas and experiences.
A Series of Spectacular Events
“I’m grateful for the opportunities I have been afforded,” Zane tells us, “but absolutely zero of them have been by design. If I told myself ten years ago that this is what I would be doing, it would shock me.”
Zane is a Métis writer, producer, and digital storyteller. He grew up in rural Saskatchewan and moved to Toronto shortly after high school, fueled by ambitions to study journalism, establish himself, and change the world.
“I thought I was going to write for Rolling Stone or be a war journalist,” he says. His aspirations drove him to creatively multitask, making money bartending and working as an entry-level copywriter while studying journalism.
“I found my true creative outlet,” he says. “I built a personal blog and wrote about pretty much everything but tourism because I couldn’t afford to travel—I kind of thought I was going to be Carrie Bradshaw, but I just wanted to keep the momentum going.”
The Path to Travel Marketing
Ironically, in 2019, the destination marketing organization (DMO) Tourism Saskatchewan offered Zane the role of “Saskatchewanderer.” For a year, he would be the spokesperson for the province, supplied with a car and an expense account to report on all Saskatchewan had to offer.
“They gave me a pretty substantial social media following,” he says. “You take over their accounts and are the wanderer—the face of Saskatchewan!” Speaking to the account’s 90,000 followers set high expectations.
Zane never anticipated being a travel writer—he had loans to pay off and just needed to get by—and the title gave him a new understanding of tourism and destination storytelling.
“I found that not only did I have a natural language for it, but it was less trivial than I thought.”
Zane also began to feel a rich connection to local communities, helping him build momentum and an unexpected career path.
Finding His Niche
When the pandemic unexpectedly cut his role short in early 2020, Zane applied for grants and launched Civl Creative, an agency building inclusive content for nonprofits, community organizations, and “those fighting the good fight.”
“I had this dream of changing the world—tensions were rising, and Black Lives Matter and The Indigenous Movement were on the rise. That was something that was fueling my work.”
Zane also began doing contract work for the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC), which he credits to his work for local community development and “a very niche skill set and experiences that catered to their initiatives.”
ITAC then hired Zane full-time to oversee their branding and content development, manage their consumer-facing brand Destination Indigenous, and establish creative industry partnerships with brands like South By SouthWest and The Juno Awards.
What is Indigenous Tourism?
Like many destination marketers, Zane’s ongoing challenge is to create content that feels genuine. To achieve this, he often collaborates with local creators who immerse themselves in experiences and share their authentic perspectives through compelling visuals and narratives.
Then, with Indigenous tourism, there’s another layer.
“We’re bringing stories deeply rooted in a very nuanced culture and delivering them to a non-Indigenous consumer base,” he says. “We need to make these stories both engaging and informative, ensuring that they are respectful of Indigenous traditions while also being accessible to a wider audience.”
For Zane, content needs to be accessible to many audiences. “It’s almost like you’re bridging members to consumers,” he says.
Yet, he also strives for a cultural balance. “One of the biggest barriers of entry for our consumers is the perception that non-Indigenous people aren’t welcome in these spaces. So you want to showcase non-Indigenous people there as well—they want people to come regardless of their background.”
Amplifying Indigenous Voices
Zane recently started leading editorial direction for ITAC’s lifestyle publication, Nations Magazine. Zane felt the content needed to be more authentic, so he commissioned a team of Indigenous writers to reflect the communities they were amplifying. “They come from a different place of passion,” he says.
On a broader scale, Zane looks for a mix of skill sets and cultural knowledge they can embed into a project. “I would love to hire a designer with a background knowledge of traditional artwork that we can integrate into modern media, or we’ll do an request for proposal (RFP) for film crews. And we want people who can tell more authentic stories, who will feel more welcome on traditional lands.”
Learning from the Community
Zane credits his learnings to both traditional mentors and ITAC’s larger community.
His current Director, Tamara Littlelight, is a shining example. “She has a sales background and is less familiar with the creative vocabulary I use with my team, but she trusts and enables me, and that fosters the kind of work I do. I believe this approach embodies true leadership and shapes the way I aim to guide others.” For Zane, this kind of trust helps people excel because it allows them to work more freely.
Zane also credits his growth to the local Indigenous community. “Most of my mentorship comes from elders. Some don’t even own a phone, but they often have more knowledge than marketing seminars.” This is especially important for Zane’s work at ITAC because he needs to authentically market Indigenous spaces to tourists who do not have a close relationship with the culture.
Leading Through Collaboration
As a writer, content producer, and so much more, Zane has a utility belt’s worth of creative tools to help him lead. He studied broadcasting, became heavily versed in Adobe’s Creative Suite, and “always ran around with a DSLR and Gimble” for as long as he can remember. But his greatest asset was his ability to lead, delegate, and listen when overseeing the creative process.
“I think it’s good to have baseline knowledge,” he says. “I have an understanding of my skill sets and talents, but also my limits. I oversee designers, but I don’t have a background in design—so if a designer is telling me what I’m telling them is faux pas, I’m going to hear them.”
For Zane, creative leadership is about highlighting your team’s skills and how they relate to your big picture. “I don’t think being a leader requires you to have all the answers, but I do think it requires you to have a vision, be valuable, and be able to collaborate with other creatives more than having that theoretical knowledge.”
Do you know a destination marketer who inspires you? We’re always looking for passionate individuals to feature in our Marketer Spotlight series. Send us an email to nominate someone making a difference in the world of destination marketing.
