Bundjalung people enter the tourism business
New South Wales Minister for Tourism Matt Brown has launched a new website and brochures to promote Indigenous tourism for the Northern Rivers during a visit to Lismore.
Mr Brown said the new website would enable Bundjalung Cultural Tours to promote its expanding range of cultural experiences to the increasing number of people who plan their travel using the internet.
“Development of the website is the next step for this exciting project, which Tourism NSW has been involved with for several years,” Mr Brown said.
“Tourism NSW has worked in partnership with the Bundjalung Elders Council and the local Aboriginal communities of the region in providing tourism skills, advice and product development.”
Owned and operated by the Bundjalung people, Bundjalung Cultural Tours is an initiative of the Bundjalung Elders Council. It aims to support, assist and promote indigenous tour operators covering the region, from Grafton to Tweed Heads and into southern Queensland.
The tours will offer visitors a first-hand experience of Aboriginal culture through operators with close ties to the land and local indigenous communities.
The launch event, at the Lyle Roberts Memorial Bush Food Garden at Lismore’s Heritage Park, also included bush tucker, music and indigenous dancing.
“The NSW Government is committed to indigenous economic development projects that build skills and benefit communities,” Mr Brown said.
“We aim to encourage Aboriginal people to actively and directly contribute to a vibrant NSW tourism industry as employees, business operators and providers of sustainable Indigenous cultural experiences.
“I encourage the indigenous groups within Bundjalung Nation to work closely together to achieve shared outcomes in this business venture.”
Bundjalung Cultural Tours has received funding assistance from the Northern Rivers Area Consultative Committee, the Department of State and Regional Development and the Department of Education and Training.
In 2006, more than 800,000 international visitors and more than 700,000 domestic overnight visitors in Australia participated in Indigenous tourism activities during their trip. The domestic figure is an increase by more than 100,000 compared with the year before.
