Tourism Council WA launches toolkit to support building connections with First Nations people

Western Australian tourism businesses are being encouraged to enhance their inclusivity of Aboriginal culture and increase collaboration with First Nations communities. To support non-First Nations-owned tourism businesses to build and foster meaningful and collaborative connections with First Nations people and communities, Tourism Council WA has launched the ‘Connecting to Culture – A toolkit guiding respectful engagement with First Nations People’ (‘Connecting to Culture Toolkit’).

Tourism Council WA Chief Executive Evan Hall noted “Recognising the importance of responsible and inclusive tourism, the Connecting to Culture Toolkit encourages the development of authentic tourism practices that respect cultural, community, and environmental considerations.”

Within the Connecting to Culture Toolkit, businesses are led through an online program to identify current gaps in their engagement with First Nations culture and community. They are then guided on how to close these gaps through a directory of resources so they can progress with confidence and clarity.

Hall added “we are proud to introduce the Connecting to Culture Toolkit, which represents a major milestone in supporting Western Australian tourism businesses to engage with First Nations communities in a respectful and meaningful way.”

The national Connecting to Culture Toolkit was developed with the Australian Tourism Industry Council’s First Nations Reference Group, and was supported by the Australian Government through Austrade’s Quality Tourism Framework Grant. The Connecting to Culture Toolkit is supported by Australia’s Tourism Industry Council national partner Tourism Australia.

Access the Connecting to Culture Toolkit