Contribution of Indigenous Culture to Tourism Development - A case in Central Australia

Tourism is a major contributor to Australia`s economy. Tourists and their expenditure, from the provision of infrastructure, direct and indirect employment, and opportunities for cultural exchange, impact upon many aspects of Australian life. Even a modest increase in the growth of tourism could see potentially significant benefits accrue in rural and regional Australia. To this end, governments, Federal and Territorial, are encouraging the development of indigenous cultural tourism in regional and remote areas of Australia, so that Indigenous communities may capitalize on their local natural and cultural assets. Aboriginal people are key stakeholders in economic development in Central Australia, but they are very disadvantaged; most Australian Aboriginal people in remote areas live in poverty. This paper estimates the economic contribution that expenditure by tourists and the tourism industry makes to the region, as well as the contribution of Indigenous culture to tourism development in Central Australia. It argues that Indigenous culture is important to tourism development and makes a significant contribution to tourism development, but Indigenous people and communities have difficulty in securing more benefits due to their low capacity to participate in the industry and institutional complications arising from the status of the area as a national park.