 Nugal-warra Elder and storyteller Willie Gordon. Image courtesy of Guurrbi Tours. A joint initiative between Tourism Australia and IBA, the Indigenous Tourism Champions Program (ITCP) is providing select Indigenous tourism operators with the opportunity to be represented and profiled amongst global tourism networks.
Since its launch in 2010, the ITCP has developed a further membership stream. Associate Members are operators who provide authentic Indigenous experiences, but are not necessarily wholly Indigenous owned.
The new membership level enables operators such as Adventure North Australia – The Bama Way Aboriginal Journeys (external website, new window) to attend national and international tourism trade shows, expand their networks and forge industry partnerships which can lead to further employment opportunities for their people. Owner of Adventure North Australia, Maryanne Jacques said: ‘Being part of the ITCP gives us credibility outside our own region. The Bama Way is a very unique and amazing product, and the more functions we attend, the more people get to find out about us’.
Adventure North Australia – The Bama Way Aboriginal Journeys is an innovative tourism partnership in north Queensland between Maryanne’s company and three highly acclaimed family operations. Owned by the traditional custodians of the local area, each of the three operators provide visitors with authentic and first-hand experiences of Aboriginal culture from Cairns to Cooktown.
At Guurrbi Tours, Nugal-warra Elder and story-teller Willie Gordon shares his culture and spirituality at ancestral rock art sites in the hills above Cooktown.
On a Walker Family Tour of Bloomfield Falls, the Walker women share their special stories of the bush and rainforest.
At Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tours – an ITCP Champion – brothers, Linc and Brandon Walker share their traditional knowledge amidst the beach, mangroves and coastal reefs of Cooya Beach.
 A Walker Family Tour of Bloomfield Falls. Image courtesy of James Fisher, Tourism Australia. As individual small operators with limited sales and marketing budgets, the three operators were struggling to stand out in the crowded tourism marketplace of Cairns and Port Douglas. By partnering with Adventure North Australia they have gained a public ‘street presence’ in nearby Cairns, a sales and marketing infrastructure, and access to a transportation network that brings visitors to their door.
The word ‘Bama’ in both Kuku Yalanji and Guugu Yimithirr language means ‘person’ regardless of nationality or race. As a non-Indigenous person collaborating with Indigenous businesses Maryanne believes The Bama Way illustrates how people who share common goals and values can work together to achieve great outcomes, whatever their background. She said: ‘This partnership is unique, because at the heart of it is our common desire to share culture and this beautiful country. That’s why it works. Yes it’s been logistically hard at times managing individual businesses and expectations, but there’s an alignment of values, an understanding and an integrity running through it. We all see our businesses as an extension of our lives and spirituality. And I see my own business as educating people about Aboriginal tourism, but not about the culture itself – I just assist people to connect with it’.
Of their involvement in the partnership Kuku Yalanji’s Linc Walker said: ‘We can all work together, share the relationships we have and our networks. It’s about the bigger picture of keeping our culture alive, not just in my backyard. And we have all been able to grow and learn from each other’.
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