July. August 85service and attention to detail is unmissable. Whether
you’re ordering a box of takeaway noodles from Ayers
Wok or having a chat with a room attendant, there’s a
warmth and authenticity that’s rare the world over.
“I don’t want to park all these guys in gardening
jobs,” Grant says. “That would be the easy thing to do.
We want a sustainable future for them, and that means
working across our guest experience area – hotel recep-
tions, warehousing, administration, landscaping, retailing,
and as room attendants. If they can stay on Country, close
to family, with a foot in culture and a foot in a sustain-
able future, which comes from employment, that’s the
ideal scenario.”
Of the closure of the climb, he says, “I just think it’s
time.” The Japanese market has many particularly keen
climbers, and there’s uncertainty about how the grey
nomads will respond. But, Grant says, “there’s an old
saying in tourism, ‘nothing new equals no value’, and
you’re very quickly yesterday’s destination unless you
keep it vibrant, fresh and relevant”.
Michelle Whitford, associate professor and researcher
in Indigenous tourism at Griffith University, Queensland,
says the Uluru climbing ban is by far the most signif-
icant case to date of a shift towards greater respect for
Indigenous culture in tourism practices. More broadly,
increasing numbers of domestic and international tourists
are seeking out Indigenous experiences, she says, andthere’s growing interest from Aboriginal Australians in
establishing and running tourism ventures as a means
of preserving and maintaining cultural heritage and
traditions while achieving socio-economic independence.
Michelle cites the Quandamooka people on North
Stradbroke Island, who are “doing excellent work pro-
tecting their culture”. Earlier this year, more than 20 of
the island’s traditional owners opened a new nature walk
they had designed and constructed. It’s estimated that
walking tourism could bring $16 million a year to the
local economy. “If local people are empowered it helps
them to be invested, and if they’re invested, tourists are
going to get a great experience,” Michelle says.I
SIT BEHIND Gloria Moneymoon in a Parks vehicle
as we head to Yulara to collect my luggage. I ask
about a container of dried herbs she has with her.
“Men would rub it into their shoulders and neck after
a big kangaroo hunt,” she explains. She lets me in on
snippets of her life: how she worked at Ayers Rock
Resort in 1991 and spent some time in Adelaide, too.
I scurry around for 10 minutes unable to find my lug-
gage. Back at the vehicle, Gloria says she knew which
case was mine when I first started looking.
“Palya [Goodbye],” she says, waving from the front of
the airport. Then it hits me how much I still don’t know
about this place and I know I’ll certainly be back. AGIndigenous employment
initiatives at Yulara have
been shown to translate into
high-quality service and
satisfied guest experiences.Menus at the resort’s
restaurants and cafes are coded
with bushtucker icons. From
crocodile ribs to desert herbs
and spices, there’s a new taste
for every meal.PHOTO CREDIT: COURTESY VOYAGES INDIGENOUS TOURISM AUSTRALIA