Image: Wula Gura Nyinda Eco Cultural Adventures, WA (tourism.australia.com)

The Australian Government has a new tender opportunity for service providers to help deliver a
$10 million National Indigenous Tourism Mentoring Program.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on tourism generally and Indigenous tourism in particular. Numbers of domestic and international visitors have dropped significantly, requiring tourism operators to pivot product development and delivery to capture new and emerging opportunities. The National Indigenous Tourism Mentoring Program will help tourism operators to address the current challenges and assist in preparing them for the return of visitors as the economy recovers and domestic and international borders open.

The provider or providers selected through the tender will design and deliver a place-based program, tailored to the diverse needs of individual tourism businesses across the country. They will identify and work with local Indigenous mentors to deliver the program.

The mentoring program will provide targeted one-on-one support to Indigenous-owned tourism businesses. It will help tourism entrepreneurs to take advantage of the market restructure, grow their professional skills, learn from industry experts and work towards achieving their business goals.

Developing Indigenous tourism capability will help to meet the increasing demand for unique cultural experiences, including from overseas once visitors are able to return. The program will also help support economic development and employment opportunities in regional areas of Australia, as the majority of Indigenous tourism activities are located outside major cities. 

The National Indigenous Tourism Mentoring Program will complement other support available through the Government’s Indigenous Tourism Fund. Grants are available through the Fund to help Indigenous businesses develop their tourism products, while the Fund will also be used to co-invest in strategic Indigenous tourism projects identified by State and Territory Governments. 

We encourage service providers to assess the services required to deliver the program and consider getting involved in helping and growing Indigenous-owned tourism businesses.

Tenders close on 2:00 pm (AEDST), Thursday 16 December 2021.

More information is at the NIAA website www.niaa.gov.au/ITF and the AusTender website: www.tenders.gov.au.