International numbers fuel surge in Indigenous tour bookings
Shire tourism
Douglas Shire Indigenous tourism operator Walkabout Cultural Adventures has reported a spike in sales as international tourism numbers begin to return to the region in greater numbers this year in the wake of Covid-19 and Cyclone Jasper.
Walkabout business owner Juan Walker, who is also the Tropical North Queensland Indigenous Experiences group co-chair, said his sales had improved 13 per cent in the past year.
“We are already getting bookings for September and October next year, like we were achieving before Covid, and international business is now more than 70 per cent of our market,” Mr Walker said.
Other Indigenous operators in the region also reported increasing sales numbers.
TTNQ chief executive Mark Olsen said the industry group had been working with seven Indigenous tourism experiences in the past year to help them better understand how to work with the international market - the region now has more than 40 choices listed.
“The Indigenous experience in tourism is a form of reconciliation that has a huge positive impact in helping to close the gap,” Mr Olsen said.
“It allows visitors to connect in a respectful way to Country, culture and the people at the heart of it.”
October is Indigenous Business Month.
For details go to tourism.tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au/indigenous-experiences.
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