Introduction
There has been a renewed interest with the indigenous tourism recently. In Australia, it is one of the most thriving tourism sector and attraction at present. This is because Australia is home to one of the world’s historic living cultures and so, it is well placed to develop this global tourism sector (ONT, 1998, p. 2). Indigenous tourism is a general term formerly used to pertain to “all tourism services or products, managed by either the Indigenous or the non-indigenous entities but focuses on an indigenous motif such as cultural tours, festivals, arts and crafts making, interpretation of indigenous heritage, cultural centers, and dance and theater performances (Altman & Taylor, 2003, p. 1).”
The expansion of indigenous tourism has been reinforced and its active participation in the Australian tourism industry is very much encouraged with the conviction that tourism is a prospective instrument to bring economic benefits for the indigenous people (Song, 2008, p. 1). This belief has been greatly rooted on the basic quantification of economic indicators like the number of tourists, growth in income and employment rates in indigenous communities (2008, p. 1).
Some indigenous tourism endeavors provide tourists with directly interacting with the indigenous people while the others are indirectly linking them to the indigenous culture through exhibits. Before, most indigenous-themed tours and attractions only present indigenous culture but in recent times, the indigenous people has become directly active in other general tourism activities like accommodation or visitor service facilities. Hinch & Butler (1996, p. 12) coined the term “diversified indigenous’ tourism” to refer to this expansion from culture-based to service-based tourism ventures. In this general view, “indigenous tourism can be explained as any form of direct or indirect participation by the indigenous people in the tourism industry” (Office of Northern Development, 1998, p. 23).
The interest in Indigenous tourism is largely driven by the growing interests of global travelers in outdoor adventures and eco tourism. They opt to explore in details the secret tradition and myths that surround the Australian aborigines of Australia. Hence, Australia’s indigenous people and their special culture and heritage are considered as major tourist attraction for the national tourism industry. The government also promotes its market expansion as they can showcase an exotic and minority cultures. Another driving force in the development of indigenous tourism is the assumption that this type of tourism is a major pathway for the indigenous people to attain their economic and social development (OND, 2003, p. 3).
As such, this paper explores the rich indigenous tourism sector which thrives in Australia. It shall examine its organization, operations, and marketing activities vis a vis the genuine development of the indigenous peoples and the Australian tourism, as a whole. The main Australian tourism agency to be studied is the Aboriginal Tourism Australia, a non-profit organization established in 1995 to develop indigenous tourism for Australia’s aborigines.
Description of the Indigenous Tourism Agency
Organization
The Aboriginal Tourism Australia (ATA) was borne out of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism Industry Strategy recommendation and as convened by the indigenous tour operators (2003, p. 3). ATA is a Company Limited by Guarantee and it is listed under the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (2003, p. 4). It is basically a non-governmental association which provides leadership and a focus for the development of aboriginal tourism (or indigenous tourism), parallel to the aboriginal’s economic, cultural and environmental values.
The ATA is composed of the members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Aboriginal Tourism Australia intends to promote cultural honor and authenticity across the Australian tourism industry.
Mission/Vision of ATA
Aboriginal Tourism Australia (ATA) aims to provide aborigines with a balance between tourism exposure and maintaining one’s cultural identity and inherent values. It has the following mission and vision:
- promotion of cultural and biological diversity
- supervision and active decision-making processes in favor of the indigenous and local communities, with assertion of prior informed participation of all stakeholders
- recognition of indigenous persons’ unique connection to land and waters
- recognition of customary proprietary knowledge held on a community and individual basis.
This is ensured in all aspects of indigenous tourism all over Australia. The agency ensures that aboriginal tourism is promoted along with the economic, cultural and environmental concerns of their indigenous tribes. This is because land is significant among the aborigines. They are intimately bound in the spirituality enveloping the origins of their landscapes, animals, plants and people (2003, p. 5). The aborigines believe that the traditional owners or guardians have a responsibility to be custodians of the environmental, cultural and spiritual wellbeing of the land. This special bond and stewardship has a unique interest from global tourists who are becoming more sensitive to communing with nature.
Another major responsibility and mission is for the agency to guard the authenticity and prevent cultural exploitation and cultural appropriation (2003, p. 5). It safeguards the intellectual and cultural property rights and the copyright concerns of the indigenous Australians.
Thus, the ATA’s main objectives are as follows:
Tourism Operations
The most important national programs initiated by the ATA hinges on capacity building and education. These are the following: Business Development Symposium, Financial Management Guide, Respecting Our Culture Tourism Development Program, Respecting Our Culture Coordinator System, and Stepping Stones for Tourism Workshops (Aboriginal Tourism Australia Website, 2007, p. 1).
These varied programs aid the Aboriginal Islanders to be equipped with different techniques of tourism development and indigenous businesses marketing. These programs also give training to these islanders and extend financial support to help the aborigines in initiating their own business (2007, p. 1).
As main indigenous tourist attractions, ATA promotes and supervises the operations of the following indigenous tourism centers and tours: Northern territory, Alice Springs, Red Centre of Australia, Sydney Rock Engravings in New South Wales, Panaramitee rock art in Central Australia, Murujuga in Western Australia, The Great Tour of Emu, The Rainbow Serpent Tour,The Quinkan Rock Art Tour, The Gwion Gwion art tour, The Fly-Fly rock art tour, The Aboriginal Rock Art tours, The Aboriginal safari tours, etc. (Tourism Australia Website, 2013, p. 1).
ATA has been historically working to strengthen aboriginal tourism by means of these activities: ROC Tourism Accreditation Program, Annual Business Symposium for Indigenous Tourism Businesses, Corroboree Indigenous Tourism Expo, Sydney Opera House, Development of the Boomerang Track to feature aboriginal tourism experiences. It has also launched at Destinations Consumer Show, London, Welcome to Country – Travellers Guide on Indigenous Protocols, Financial Management Guide for Indigenous Tourism Businesses, Native Title Fact Sheets for the Tourism Industry, Stepping Stones for Tourism national pilot, Partnership with Lonely Planet to produce Secret, Journeys publication for global distribution. ATA also secured Cathy Freeman as Ambassador and established Aboriginal Tourism Marketing Association (ATMA). It also established the Ochre Dreaming publication (Aboriginal Tourism Australia Pamphlet, n.d., p. 1).
Marketing and Promotions of Indigenous Tourism by ATA
Authenticity is very important to global tourists (Taylor, 2001, p. 2). ATA distinguishes between “authenticity” and “authenticated products” where the major components are the source of the material and approval given by the proper custodian for that material to be opened to the public. This means that an indigenous person from another area, or in other cases a non-indigenous person acting as representative, can be authorized to discuss the local culture within certain cultural boundaries (Jacobsen, 2013, p. 2).
The close relationship between tourism products and culture requires flexibility, which sometimes challenges general tourism practices (Fraser, 2012, p. 1). Cultural laws and norms both distinguish and affect indigenous tourism. As such, the ATA ensure the proper tourism promotions. It initiated the following:
1. Boomerang Track – This track has been developed to internationally promote aboriginal tourism. The launching of the Boomerang Track was held in the United Kingdom at the Destinations Consumer Show in London 2004. It was also launched in the USA in January, 2006 (AITC, 2013, p. 1).
2. Corroboree Indigenous Tourism Expo – this expo was held in 2005 at the Sydney Opera House. Corroboree brought together indigenous tourism operators from all over Australia in a mass celebration of culture which showcased art, dance, music, cuisine and a harbor cruise from an indigenous orientation (Australia Council for the Arts, 2009). The Expo featured the diversity of Australia’s indigenous cultures and stressed the depth and breadth of existing aboriginal cultural tourism products. There were more than 1,500 visitors attended Corroboree.
3. Secret Journeys - Lonely Planet Publication – this is a 24 page publication provides a snapshot of indigenous cultural experiences from all over Australia. It was initially developed as an insert for the Australian Lonely Planet Guide and Australia and New Zealand on a Shoestring Guides for global distribution.
4. Going Bush - Lonely Planet Travel Documentary - ATA has teamed up with Lonely Planet in the development of a four-part travel documentary featuring ATA Ambassador Cathy Freeman and Aboriginal actor Debra Mailman as representatives. Going Bush reveals the wonders of the Australian landscape from a perspective of the indigenous people (IRCA Website, 2013, p. 1).
5. Industry Education Materials - ATA initiates activities to educate the tourism industry and visitors of indigenous connection to land and waters and associated protocols. Activities include:
· Welcome to Country – A Visitors Guide to Indigenous Communities;
· 3 R’s - Relationship, Responsibility and Respect emphasizes the relationship to land;
· Native Title Fact Sheets for the Tourism Industry.
ATA is also institutionally networked with the following tourist agencies: Green Globe, Ecotourism Australia, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Savannah Guides, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), Leave No Trace, Reconciliation Australia, Creative Economy, and William Angliss Institute of TAFE (Aboriginal Tourism Australia Pamphlet, n.d., p. 1).
Benefits for the Indigenous People of Australia
The primary benefit of the indigenous tourism pertains to the economic gains for the Australian indigenous communities as they engage with tourism. Indigenous tourism is generally assumed to generate employment, enterprises, manufacturing of artifacts, provision of hunting and ritual culture, and lease and sale of resources (Song, 2008, p. 271). In Australia, tourism gives prospects for increased employment opportunities and financial improvements (Wirth & Freestone, 2001, p. 2). The global tourists’ demand for contact with indigenous people has supplied job opportunities such as tour guides on bush tours and camping trips, dancers in ceremonial and ritual performances, and arts and crafts producers (2001, p. 3).
Statistics given by the Northern Territory Tourism Commission (2002, p. 396) show that up to 56 percent of all employed indigenous Australians in Northern Territory are engaged with tourism. They work as tour guides or indigenous arts and crafts manufacturers. These jobs are vital source of income source. At Uluru National Park, two major employment surveys in May and November 2002 showed that 29 aborigines were employed by the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service (ANPWS) and 3 aborigines were also taken by the Maruku Arts and Crafts, a regional community-owned craft company (2002, p. 397). In the latter, 10 aborigines worked at the park service and 5 others worked by Maruku. While these seem small figures, they represented 72% and 47% of jobs and 60% and 48% of employment income during the said months.
Generally, tourism related activities made up for more than half the jobs taken by indigenous people in Australia (Altman & Taylor, 2003, p. 2). ANPWS wages alone registered for 26% of total cash income and 38% of employment income (2003, p. 2). Diversified indigenous tourism activities generate $20 to $30 million (ATSIC, 2003). Indigenous tourist enterprises consist of hotels, boat tours, souvenir stores, trading companies, and arts and crafts shops and factories.
Another major earner for indigenous tourism is the production of indigenous arts and crafts to be sold to tourists (Mathieson & Wall, 2002, p. 15). For most of the tourists and global visitors, the direct encounter with aboriginal culture involves purchasing indigenous art products or viewing rock art sites. The available data on the income from selling indigenous arts, crafts and souvenir products is estimated at about $200 million annually, with majority of this amount estimated from tourist sales (The Office of National Tourism, 1998, p. 1). Global tourists alone splurge $50 million annually on Northern Territory Indigenous arts and crafts sold in galleries all over Australia (AIAS, 2002). Indigenous art tours send tourists directly to indigenous communities such as those in Arnhem Land, East Kimberley and the Western Desert region where these tourists buy paintings from well-known indigenous artists (Zeppel, 2001, p. 2).
Indigenous peoples and/or traditional owners also earn money through the lease fees of resources as entry fees and/or levy on animal bounties being hunted on safari tours are imposed on lands owned by local the local aborigine people. These sacred lands include indigenous national parks (Altman & Taylor, 2003, p. 3). Most indigenous tourism facilities and national parks presently charge entrance fees and/or administrative fees (Altman & Taylor, 2003, p. 3).
Conclusion and Recommendations
Tourism has indeed provided opportunities for the development, promotion and economic gains of the indigenous people all over the world. This is shown in the case of Australia. Indigenous tourism has brought about positive effects to indigenous communities in general. These positive effects were showcased by the initiatives and economic gains as stipulated by the efforts of the ATA.
The issue of indigenous tourism is a complex one. Its impact on the indigenous people and the global tourisms should be well studied before it is exponentially explored. While it is best to recognize the optimistic signals indigenous tourism brings for the indigenous people, stakeholders must also consider the various angles of the involvement and the complex impacts of indigenous tourism as a whole. Inherently, tourism brings about various opportunities as well as problems and dilemmas.
A major recommendation is a more expansive and broader approach to the study of the economic and social impact of indigenous tourism to the local communities. Tourism enterprises should be balanced by a long term view of how these unique groups of people may inherently benefit or be disadvantaged by the created tourist programs and activities. There is a serious accountability for all the stakeholders in indigenous tourism. Hence, governments and tourism agencies must take a long-term assessment and perspective on the indigenous tourism’s economic effects on the indigenous people from a sensible perspective.
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