A new First Nations Visitor Economy Partnership to support greater Indigenous participation in the tourism sector, and better economic opportunities has been announced by Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell and Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy.
The partnership will bring together First Nations tourism industry representatives from across the country. It will provide leadership on respectfully embedding Australia’s rich cultural heritage into our visitor experiences.
Establishing the partnership is a key action under THRIVE 2030, Australia’s national strategy for the visitor economy. Austrade led work on designing the partnership in collaboration with First Nations industry representatives, the National Indigenous Australians Agency, Tourism Australia, and state and territory governments.
‘We know that domestic and international visitors are increasingly seeking unique First Nations experiences as part of their travels,’ says Minister Farrell. ‘This presents great opportunities for value-added tourism and job creation in Australia’s regions and First Nations communities.’
The Partnership is the latest Australian Government measure – among grants, mentoring and strategic investment – to support First Nations tourism and promote the sustainable growth of the visitor economy.
Preparations are underway with States and Territories for selection of members and the first meeting of the Partnership in early 2025.
