Indigenous tourism in Australia: Time for a reality check

Abstract

Indigenous tourism is positioned as an integral part of Australia's tourism product offering. Yet participation in Indigenous tourism experiences by both international and domestic markets is in decline. The demand for, and interest in, Australia's indigenous culture that has been consistently portrayed by Australian government agencies has not translated into sustainable visitor flows for many indigenous tourism businesses. Therefore, the aim of this research was to explore visitor demand for indigenous tourism through interviews with 1357 international and domestic tourists. To overcome some of the limitations of previous indigenous tourism studies, this study used the ‘Attrition Curve of Tourist Demand’ to determine if insights could be gained by analysing the consumer decision making process (awareness, preferences and intentions). The results of the research show that while there has been much progress in the development of this niche tourism sector, there is low awareness, preference and intention to participate in indigenous tourism experiences in Australia.