ATEC welcomes extra support for indigenous tourism

The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) has welcomed the Federal Government's announcement of an extension to the Indigenous Tourism Champions Program that will see emerging Indigenous tourism operators supported to bring their businesses to the international market.

ATEC Managing Director, Felicia Mariani said that Council member, Diverse Travel, has been chosen by the Government to develop a program that will provide tailored business skills and mentoring to ten Indigenous tourism businesses across Australia helping them to become accredited international operators.

Mariani explained "Diverse Travel is an experienced and successful tourism operator with the skills and expertise to provide this kind of hands on mentoring to emerging Indigenous tourism businesses.

"This program has the capacity to bring Indigenous experiences closer to the tourism marketplace."

Mariani said the funding would create an entry level program allowing businesses to progress through the Indigenous Tourism Champions Program which ultimately connects them with the international tourism market.

She added "the Champions Program provides a pathway for Indigenous tourism businesses to become fully engaged with the international market and this new funding helps businesses take the first step along this path."

Diverse Travel Director, Caroline Densley said this was an exciting project which would help bring sustainability into the Indigenous tourism sector, stating "we will be working with these businesses, who are in their very early stages of development, to build a strong foundation for their future growth.

"Diverse Travel has the experience of building on a small business - experience we can take to these operators."

In May this year, ATEC established the National Indig enous Tourism Taskforce (NITTF), the first industry body to specifically look at the development of Indigenous tourism businesses.

Mariani adds that "NITTF is working to develop a national indigenous employment program and is currently rolling out a series of market ready seminars supporting Indigenous operators in negotiating the distribution system."

ATEC will also play host to the inaugural Pacific Asia Indigenous Tourism Conference in March 2012 in partnership with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Tourism NT. The conference is expected to adopt the Darwin Declaration to establish the principles for developing Indigenous tourism in the Pacific Asia region and aims to create partnerships between the tourism industry and Indigenous tourism operators.

For more details on the conference and to register for the event, which will take place in Darwin on 29th to 30th March go to www.paitc.com 

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