Objective
This project will address ways in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enterprises can become more adaptive to challenging demand contexts and generate new market opportunities. Research will describe the complexity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism enterprises at the local community level in order to ensure the industry has the capacity to meet ongoing demand.
Summary
Research by Tourism Australia indicates that there is a considerable, unmet potential for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enterprises in tourism. This project will help existing and new businesses market their product to meet this demand.
Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism enterprises in remote Australia operate as independent organisations that provide tourism products and services in isolated regions but with little or no whole-of-industry integration.
Further, there is no information that details the demand for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and cultural tourism products in remote areas, the product demand of specific segments of the tourism market, and the ways in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism enterprises best meet those demands.
An improved understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and tourism development is essential if the industry is to grow in a sustainable manner.
This research project will undertake a systematic study of the ways in which an integrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism industry could overcome the issues currently threatening its sustainability: isolated ‘stand alone’ enterprises that are not well connected to market demand, destination systems, regional marketing services, or regional product development strategies.
This research and development approach must be systematic, industry-wide and carried out in parallel with other research that describes the key success factors of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enterprises in tourism.
Part of the project activities will be to focus on ways in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enterprises respond to challenging tourism demand environments and to new market opportunities at a sector or industry level.
The research will work closely with new and emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism enterprises to define best practice tourism enterprise development methods, and to create a suite of effective tools for the creation of local tourism products that meet strategic demand opportunities in regionally based tourism sectors.
Outputs
- New Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism products and markets identified and effective value-chain structures and business models developed to take advantage of these new opportunities.
- Training material to support new market opportunities and business models developed for tourism businesses.
- At least three postgraduate students; 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders trained as paid field researchers; one honours, VET or vacation student.
Impacts
- More profitable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned and controlled tourism businesses.
- Micro-businesses and small-to-medium-sized enterprises will derive additional income.
- New tourism businesses linked into local and international tourism markets.
- New insights which maximise the potential contribution of tourism to bridging the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
Principal Research Leader
Damien Jacobsen
email: damien.jacobsen@scu.edu.au
phone: + 61 2 6620 3042
Damien is Principal Research Leader for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism Product project and based at Southern Cross University, Lismore.
Damien is descended from the Bulgan Warra clan of the Western Yalanji People. His research interests include the involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in tourism, domestic tourists, Reconciliation through tourism, the socio-political nature of Being, remote tourism development and innovation.
Damien is dedicated to building futures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Partners
- Central Land Council
- Curtin University of Technology
- FaHCSIA
- Iga Warta
- Northern Territory Government
- Southern Cross University
- University of British Columbia
- University of South Australia
Project documents
- Project postcard
- Discussion Paper for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism Project Workshop: 18 October 2011
Photo: Clifford Coulthard, an Adnyamathanha man from the Flinders Ranges, SA interprets an Aboriginal rock art site to visitors at Iga Warta.
