IBA Aboriginal Tourism Accelerator Program kicks off
- 28 February 2024
Yanyuwa Garrwa family, Zoe, Maria and Nick have always had aspirations of running a family tourism business on Country in Borroloola located on the edge of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Today, they have taken the first step in making that dream a reality by participating in Australia’s first Aboriginal Tourism Accelerator Program facilitated by Indigenous Business Australia and Tourism NT.
Child Health Nurse, Zoe, said her family has been thinking about this day for years and hopes the course would equip them with strong foundational skills to ensure their future business will last long into the future.
“Borroloola is a beautiful part of the world, we have the ocean, the rivers, rich Aboriginal culture and language and bush tucker and medicine that is still used to this day. We want to share that with the world and would like to establish a tourism hub offering have fishing charters, cultural tours and workshops, and a shop that we can sell local Aboriginal products.
“We want to create intergenerational wealth, on Country and for our community. To do that, we need the skills to write business models, secure funding and work with land councils to maximise our opportunities – that’s why we’re here today” she said.
Zoe’s family’s business model isn’t just about establishing a tourism enterprise on Country; it is also about educating Australia’s future leaders and improving relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. “We would love to host interstate school students on Country and give them an insight to what it really means to be an Aboriginal person,” said Zoe.
“We know people want to learn from us and we can see huge potential for us to help educate our future teachers, lawyers and decision makers while showcasing our breathtaking Northern Territory.”
The NT Aboriginal Tourism Accelerator program is aimed at empowering Aboriginal businesses, organisations and entrepreneurs to foster innovation, and preserve the unique Aboriginal cultural heritage that is infused in the Northern Territory’s land, rivers, sea and sky. The program commenced today and will run one week per month over the next six months.