Over 130,000 international visitors came here last year to experience indigenous culture.

These visitors spent $426 million on indigenous tourism. That’s nearly half a billion dollars. Put in perspective, indigenous tourism is as valuable an export for Australia as nickel and significantly more than uranium or rice.

Over 410,000 visitors or 10% of all visitors to Australia said they experienced aboriginal art and crafts and cultural displays.
Around 200,000 tourists visited an Aboriginal site or community.

The highest number of visitors came from the United Kingdom, followed by the rest of Europe, the USA and Japan. Importantly, these markets are also our highest-spending markets.

The challenge for Australia is that we have international competitors offering their own brand of indigenous tourism experiences.

Countries such as Canada and New Zealand are offering a sophisticated indigenous product.

In Canada, not only do they have wonderful indigenous resorts, lodges and tours, such as Northern Lights Multimedia. They have developed ancillary enterprises such as an Aboriginal owned company to serve the marketing needs of the Canadian tourism industry. Or even indigenous airlines such as Air Creebec, Air Inuit and Bearskin Airlines.

Australia can also be competitive. For example one of Australia's unique indigenous experiences is Anangu Tours.
It is run by the traditional Aboriginal owners of Uluru National Park, the Anangu. Visitors are offered a very a rare insight into the traditional meaning and history of Uluru. Visitors in small tour groups see first hand the local Aboriginal customs and lifestyle.

Tourists learn what has been passed down through generations of the traditional custodians of the rock. All tours are led by local Aboriginal guides and an Aboriginal language interpreter.

The Anangu have lived at Uluru for many thousands of years and through their tours, they share their intricate understanding of the land, plants and animals.