Key Outcomes for Tourism
Session One
Indigenous Tourism in Australia: History and culture
Baiba Berzins outlined the history of Indigenous tourism in the Northern Territory. In the early twentieth century there were few tourists but almost all of the visitors met the traditional owners of the land. Organised tours began in the mid-1920s but the average tour participant had limited contact with Indigenous people. After World War II there was a lot of interest in the Territory and its Indigenous inhabitants by filmmakers, writers, artists, broadcasters and researchers. The tourism industry began to develop rapidly and by the 1960s 'safari camps' and 'safari tours' were very popular. There were a few attempts at developing Indigenous tourism ventures but, in general, Indigenous people were regarded as an 'exploitable resource for entertainment'. It was not until the late 1980s that Indigenous people began to increase their involvement in the tourism industry.
Kate Darian-Smith focused on educational tourism. She teaches an Australian Studies course at the University of Melbourne that involves small student groups travelling to central Australia on study tours. The initial reason for introducing this course was a means for enticing international students to study at the University. Course outcomes have been very beneficial to the livelihoods of Indigenous Australians as young Australians learn about Indigenous history and cultural traditions. The course encourages students to look at their own ethics in regards to whether or not they will climb Uluru, as well as having many memorable one-on-one conversations with Indigenous people.
Sonia Smallacombe argued that many Indigenous people are still marginalised in regards to tourism. Some of those involved in the industry feel that the Indigenous people are blocking out tourists through having a say as to who can access their land and protecting important cultural sites. Educational tourism is a big growth area but it also brings into question the appropriation of Indigenous culture and products. For example, Australian governments market Indigenous culture to overseas tourists, yet provide little support to Indigenous people wanting to protect the communal rights of their culture. A good example is that a lot of 'Aboriginal' souvenirs are not made by Indigenous people and are yet sold in shops and markets as 'authentic Aboriginal products'. She asked how can Indigenous people benefit from tourism and at the same time protect their cultural knowledge and products?