Tourism's opportunity to lead the way in recognising Indigenous peoples in Australian Constitution

With a longstanding history of backing Indigenous tourism employment and ventures, the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) has recently advanced its advocacy to the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

QTIC Chief Executive Daniel Gschwind, a staunch advocate for social inclusion and contribution, provided his views to the Joint Select Committee on Monday 30 June 2014.

Gschwind’s address summarised his view on steps that can be taken to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Australian Constitution and mechanisms to build support for recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples across all sectors of the community.

In his address, Gschwind stated “we share an aspiration with both state and Federal Government to significantly grow the economic benefits that tourism can deliver to Australia and to this state.

“Both the Commonwealth and State Government have identified significant targets for growth in visitor expenditure by 2020. Such ambition is set against a backdrop of sustained global expansion of tourism demand, making tourism one of five ‘super sectors of the economy’ in terms of opportunity for Australia, according to a recent Deloitte’s Access Economics report.

“We know that to achieve this potential we must present the best that Australia has to offer, the best that Australia is. Our visitors, both domestic and international, look for the ‘real thing’, experiences that are true, special and unique to the destination. People travel to share in that.

“We are fortunate in this country with a natural assets and features that are of outstanding value, many, like the Great Barrier Reef, recognised as part of our World Heritage. Our industry has built much of its reputation, its products and services and much of its marketing on the value and international recognition of those assets.

“Likewise, we have a unique cultural heritage and a population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who are part of the modern Australian social fabric and with ancient roots in this continent. But unlike with our natural assets and heritage, we have not been as successful in making those First Nation peoples part of our story and part of our tourism success. This despite the fact that we often see Indigenous Australians featured in promotional materials, along with images of rock paintings and sounds of didgeridoos.

"Apart from everything else, this is a missed opportunity.

“The Queensland Tourism Industry Council and the wider tourism industry want to see change, want to include Indigenous Australia in our story. And I don’t mean in a tokenistic use of Indigenous culture and people. Instead we must strive to partner with Indigenous Australians in main stream tourism businesses, as business owners, employees, mentors, leaders.

“We can also use partnerships to offer appropriate access for visitors to the unique, ancient culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples, their stories, their connection to country, their knowledge.

“Our organisation, like many others, is committed to working on such outcomes and we have supported and led a number of programs. But our success and ultimately the success of a genuine and enduring process of reconciliation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia depends on more than individual commitment.

“It critically depends on a collective, national and also symbolic recognition of Australia’s First Peoples, as part of our history, part of presents and part of our future. Our Constitution is the right place to start, the right place to anchor such recognition. It is the touchstone that defines and describes what we are and how we relate to each other and to the world. It may be explained in historical context but to effectively ignore Indigenous Australians in such a document is inconceivable from a contemporary perspective.

“We would agree with the recommendations made in some of the submission already made to this inquiry that an open and comprehensive process of constitutional information and education should precede an eventual poll on changing the Constitution. Many Australians may have to be re-acquainted with their Constitution and its role.

“By giving Indigenous recognition a place in the Nation’s defining document we would send a strong and unambiguous signal. It would be a symbol of true national partnership for Indigenous Australians, a call to the rest of the community to recognise Indigenous Australia as part of our values and not as a problem to be solved.

“And it would send a signal to the world that Australia respects and treasures its unique history and all of its inhabitants.

“The tourism industry stands ready to work with more vigour and determination on creating new opportunities for Indigenous partnerships. Few industries have the same potential to build commercial success in harmony with social and environmental aspirations. Tourism can – in fact must – build its future on achieving a balanced growth that delivers not only economic but also community outcomes.

“Indigenous people can add significantly to our tourism competitiveness. Tourism offers opportunities for Indigenous involvement in mainstream businesses, in remote destinations and communities and on indigenous land. It offers access to skill development for first-time entrants into the workforce across a broad spectrum of employment. Importantly, by making accessible ancient and unique culture experiences that can be shared with visitors, we can enrich our tourism offering.

“If we want to promote Indigenous Australia to our visitors in good faith and as something worth sharing – worth travelling for - it stands to reason that we should acknowledge and celebrate the Indigenous origins of Australia and its people in the document that defines us.”

For the past four years, QTIC has worked with state and federal governments to operate the QTIC Indigenous Employment Champions Network which aims to support tourism employers to appoint and retain Indigenous employees. The project is the first of its kind in Queensland and its purpose is to increase operators’ awareness of how to encourage and maintain increased participation of Indigenous Australians within the mainstream tourism industry.

For more information on the QTIC Indigenous Employment Champions Network contact QTIC General Manager of Business Strategy and Deputy Kim Harrington on 07 3236 1445, E: kim.harrington@qtic.com.au

Click here to visit the QTIC website.

10th October 2013 - TOURISM IDENTIFIED AS VITAL TO AUSTRALIA’S FUTURE PROSPERITY