Tourism Australia and Discover Aboriginal Experiences (DAE) are launching an Indigenous place-based guide for travellers.

The guide is the first of its kind and was developed in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It gives travellers a new way to see Australia through the lens of the world's oldest living cultures.

“This new guide encourages visitors to Australia to learn about the nation's shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation, particularly regarding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” said Nicole Mitchell, DAE's Executive Officer.

The guide is an Indigenous-led reintroduction to eleven of Australia's key destinations and highlights stories and cultural experiences in places including Sydney / Warrane, Melbourne / Narrm, Hobart / nipaluna, and the Daintree Rainforest / Kaba Kada, in Queensland.

The guide weaves together 60,000 years of cultural knowledge with modern travel experiences including guided city walking tours, ancient rock art visits, exploring Indigenous-owned galleries and immersive culinary experiences. 

 “This guide invites travellers to see Australia through the stories that have shaped it for tens of thousands of years.”

In each locale, the guide shares the traditional name, its Indigenous peoples and how to fully immerse in Indigenous culture as well as its creation story, and flora and fauna. For Cairns, in Far North Queensland, Gimuy (pronounced gee-moy), travellers learn How to say G'Day: Goorin boongun (pronounced goo-rin boon-un). There is also advice on how to buy Indigenous art, ethically, explore the Great Barrier Reef with indigenous sea rangers and dine on native produce. 

The guide comes at a time of strong global interest in Indigenous-led travel. More visitors are seeking authentic, immersive experiences that connect them to Country, culture, and community. Over the past ten years interest in Indigenous Activities by all International Visitors has risen by 60% from 685,028 to 1,099,458. 

Some other highlights:

-In Sydney / Warrane, climb the Harbour Bridge with a First Nations guide and hear stories of the Gadigal people while overlooking Country.

-In Melbourne / Narrm, walk along the Yarra River / Birrarung with a guide from the Koorie Heritage Trust and hear how this vital waterway was formed.

-In the Daintree / Kaba Kada, discover Dreaming stories on a rainforest walk with a Kuku Yalanji guide, or take part in a spear-fishing experience on Cooya Beach.

-In Tasmania / lutruwita, join the award-winning wukalina Walk—a four-day Indigenous-guided hike through ancestral landscapes.

Many of these experiences are part of the Discover Aboriginal Experiences collective, which brings together more than 200 Indigenous-led tourism offerings across the country. Part of Tourism Australia's Signature Experiences of Australia program, DAE showcases the best of Aboriginal tourism - experiences that are powerful, personal, and deeply memorable.

The guide is available for download under the Resources listings on the DAE website, scroll down to locate the Australian Indigenous Place Based Guide.

The Discover Aboriginal Experiences (DAE) website  includes media assets and videos and provides story ideas and inspiration, as well the just-launched Connect to Country digital magazine that shares the stories of DAE members.

See What's New and Trade and Media Portal 

For further information contact:

Nicole Mitchell – Tourism Australia
Executive Officer Discover Aboriginal Experiences
T: +61 410 499 525 E: dae@tourism.australia.com
W: discoveraboriginalexperiences.com

Media in North America

Julie Earle-Levine in New York
julie@julieearle.net