Indigenous tourism policy in New South Wales has been developed by Destination NSW, the state’s lead government agency for tourism and major events, which is part of the Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade. The initial ‘Aboriginal Tourism Action Plan’ was released in 2013 with a three-year horizon, before it was reviewed with an updated document created for 2017-2020.
Indigenous tourism initiatives continue to be developed by the Department and the NSW Aboriginal Tourism Operators Council (NATOC), an industry body which was developed as a key outcome of the 2013 plan.
The Aboriginal Tourism Action Plan 2017-2020 built on research which reported increased visitor demand and interest in Indigenous Culture, acknowledging the advantages possessed by NSW to deliver these offerings, as well as the importance of ensuring the sector is sustainable and represents First Nations Culture authentically. The plan was built around a series of targets over a three-year timeframe, intended to be completed in collaboration with industry and other groups.
The development of the Aboriginal Tourism Toolkit, which featured over 50 Aboriginal tourism offerings, was an achievement of the 2013-2016 plan. It is a relevant resource for increasing awareness in the tourism industry of Authentic NSW Aboriginal cultural products and experiences.
The NSW Government released a NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030, with an updated version in 2020, which aims for NSW to be the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific and reach $65 billion in total visitor expenditure by the end of the decade.
The strategy identifies showcasing Aboriginal Culture as a critical strength to help achieve this goal. It commits to supporting Indigenous tourism and creating sustainable commercial opportunities for Indigenous cultural businesses. These opportunities will be realised by partnering with the NSW Aboriginal Tourism Operators Council (NATOC) and First Nations tourism stakeholders to develop authentic and compelling visitor experiences. The strategy also commits to delivering annual workshops, mentoring and other business support for First Nations tourism operators across NSW.
