Key Outcomes for Tourism
Session Eight
Caring for Country and Culture through Tourism
Nicholas Hall described the 'Stepping Stones Program'. It allowed any level of culture required by traditional owners and was conceived from the idea that tourism should not be treated as just a business but how to make it fit in with community life. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Commission originally funded 'Stepping Stones'. The program comprises 10 'steps'.
- Having a vision (which in many cases might come from the elders).
- Identify who will be involved, concentrating on the people.
- Identify the knowledge and ideas.
- Identify what is special about the particular area and what can be shared. This was reported to be a step that must be completed before moving forward.
- Identify issues, concerns or positive elements and get different points of view and understanding.
- SWOT – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
- Identify and work on the ideas (this step was said to be the one where people normally start from). Identify what is going to work for culture, country and business. This is the step where feasibility studies might commence.
- Time to get serious - establish the objectives.
- Making it happen.
- Putting the plan to work and presenting the plan to everyone involved.
Two resources were available to be used in conjunction with this tool, 'Protecting Heritage Places' and 'Steps to Sustainable Tourism'.
Leigh Phillips explained that Aboriginal Tourism Australia was a non-profit, non-government organisation funded on a project-by-project basis. Examples of its work included a Native Title fact sheet for tourism operators and the organisation of conferences and meetings with operators around Australia to provide operators with opportunities to showcase their product. The Respecting our Culture Program (ROC) provided accreditation and helped businesses with sustainability. It was open to Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses with an Indigenous component. It works on three core areas: cultural protocols and how information is shared with visitors; caring for country concepts, including environmental management concepts, spiritual connection and environmental impacts; and business management, in which tools provided by national and state accreditation bodies are employed. Although there has been some criticism of the program, it continues to build up Indigenous tourism, help create standards and build capacity. A Financial Management Guide is also part of the program. There are three steps involved in ROC: desktop assessment process, to make sure that everything is in place; on site verification, carried out not just for transparency issues but also for the benefit of the business and safety; and the granting of the ROC accreditation logo. Another tool used is the Welcome to Country brochure developed with the Department of the Environment and Heritage, which has been a great success. Promotion opportunities are associated with ROC, including links to the different businesses on the ROC website. There have been initiatives with Diverse Travel in which selected travel packages have been promoted internationally. ROC works with Lonely Planet on a Secret Journeys Guide, which will be issued in Australia and New Zealand and where all ROC accredited businesses will be promoted. There are currently three non-Indigenous businesses with ROC accreditation. ROC accreditation is not compulsory at this stage.
Steve Roeger and Djawa Yunupiŋu talked on behalf of Dhimurru, who recognise the importance of tourism and emphasise community ownership and cultural livelihoods. The tourism industry in North East Arnhem Land is in its early stages and there are some concerns about its impacts. Yolŋu people expressed interest in participating in the industry but there were some unrealistic expectations. Dhimurru was trying to develop an understanding of how tourism could work in Arnhem Land and the cost involved. It also assisted with linkage for those who wanted to get started in a tourism venture.
Mandaka Marika said that traditional owners in North East Arnhem Land did not want any tourism to begin with but are now looking forward with the development of Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) and are more enthusiastic to see it happening. Tourists mean money for Yolŋu communities and Yolŋu people are able to provide the history and cultural context. The development of a tourism industry would have to be according to the wishes of the traditional owners. Yolŋu people wanted to see this industry developed over the next ten years.