Sustainable Travel Feature: Australia to Reinvigorate Indigenous Tourism

Sustainable travel experts like to put culture front and center, and Bruce Poon Tip believes that it's time to emphasize the unique perspective of the Australian Aborigines. Canadian Bruce Poon Tip, who founded Gap Adventures, stated his opinion at the Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference. The conference dedicated an entire day to encouraging indigenous tourism in Australia.

Convenor Tony Charters noted that today's tourists are interested in sustainable travel practices. They want to connect with nature and have meaningful experiences. He said, "People visiting our country want to see our landscape through the lens of indigenous Australians." He went on to address the competition, including Korea, Cambodia, Peru and Chile, and said: "it's critical Australia looks to invigorate." Charters has an excellent point, but exactly how will Australia be "using" the indigenous culture to attract tourists?

Tip said: "Australia has a culture that's so strong and different to anywhere else in the world and at the moment it's so untapped and underutilized." He went on: "It's untouched at the moment, so it can be done right - it's all about satisfying the customer." What about satisfying the Aborigines? Further discussion was not printed in the Sydney Morning Herald, however, most likely, the conference addressed sustainable travel concerns, and considered how the tourism programs would help preserve Aboriginal culture.

Also, the Global Eco Conference in Noosa, as you might expect, focused on eco-tourism and sustainable travel. The "Indigenous Tourism Forum" on the fourth day included a talk by Nyoman Darma, the Operator of Bali Budaya, titled: "Cultural Importance: Ensuring Guests Comprehend and Respect the Religious and Cultural Heritage of the Balinese". Other topics included "A New Cooperative Approach to Delivery of Indigenous Tourism Development," and "Aboriginal Tourism: Maximising the Opportunity."

Surely, increasing the emphasis on indigenous tourism in Australia could benefit both the travel industry and the Aborigines. The indigenous Australian population faces economic difficulties, which correlate with a high unemployment rate, health problems, lack of education, crime and substance abuse issues. The quality of life of Aboriginal people, according to the United Nations, is the second worst in the world (natives in certain Chinese provinces were considered worse). Hopefully, concern for the Aborigines will be a central tenant for travel companies that intend to capitalize on their rich and original culture.

Photo credit: Novyaradnum