Indigenous tourism partnerships report (vtic small business award)

1

INDIGENOUS TOURISM PARTNERSHIPS

Best practice approaches to partnerships between Indigenous

and non-Indigenous tourism businesses

For Victoria Tourism Industry Council

Small Business Development Award

April 2015

2

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the case study participants featured

in this report, who gave freely and generously of

their time and knowledge to assist in the

research. In particular:

Maryanne Jacques, Adventure North

Australia

Rob Tandy, Australian Pacific Tours /

Kimberley Wilderness Adventures

Willie Gordon, Guurrbi Tours

Tom Knell, Kimberley Wild Expeditions

Eddie Ruska, Nunukul Yuggera

Aboriginal Dancers

John Sharpe, Riverlife

I would also like to thank the Victoria Tourism

Industry Council for supporting this work

through a Small Business Development Award.

It provided the opportunity to explore a very

valuable topic which will assist with my

consultancy work and, I hope, will also prove

useful to other members of the industry who

seek to establish partnerships with Indigenous

tourism operators. In particular, my thanks go

to Nigel Preston and Dianne Smith for their

support.

I would also like to acknowledge the assistance

of Tourism Victoria, in particular Chris White

and Teya Deller, for their advice and

introductions to industry representatives, which

significantly assisted with my investigations.

Prepared by

Rachel Donovan

Insight Communications

PO Box 177

Camperdown Vic 3260

Mob. 0417 381 709

[email protected]

Front cover images: Adventure North Australia’s The Bama Way Aboriginal Journeys, Cairns to Cooktown.

INDIGENOUS TOURISM PARTNERSHIPS PROJECT BY INSIGHT COMMUNICATIONS 3

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4

1. INTRODUCTION 6

1.1 Significance of Indigenous Tourism 6

1.2 Purpose of the Research 6

1.3 Aim of the Project 7

1.4 Methodology 8

2. TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS 9

3. CASE STUDY: RIVERLIFE MIRRABOOKA 10

4. CASE STUDY: ADVENTURE NORTH AUSTRALIA AND THE BAMA WAY ABORIGINAL JOURNEYS 13

5. CASE STUDY: KIMBERLEY WILDERNESS ADVENTURES 17

6. CASE STUDY: ULURU AND TOP END CULTURAL EXPERIENCES 21

7. SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS 24

APPENDIX 1: Research Excerpt – Joint Ventures in Indigenous Tourism 26

APPENDIX 2: List of Contacts 28

APPENDIX 3: Bibliography 29


Executive Summary

This study explores the experiences of four

successful Indigenous1 tourism partnerships in

order to identify the factors that underpin their

success. Each case study involves a partnership

between an Indigenous and a non-Indigenous

private sector or community-based tourism

business.

The outcomes of the study are intended to

inform those working in the Indigenous tourism

sector who are considering forming an alliance

with a non-Indigenous tourism operator, or

those who work in a non-Indigenous tourism

business who wish to engage with an Indigenous

tourism business.

The focus of the study has been to investigate

the following:

Given the potential for cultural differences

between Indigenous and non- Indigenous

tourism partners, what are the business

models that work best?

What are the attitudes and values that need

to be shared by partners?

What practices are needed to underpin a

sustainable partnership in terms of

communications, management, business

operations?

The study has been undertaken as a result of a

Small Business Development Award provided by

the Victoria Tourism Industry Council to Rachel

Donovan, Insight Communications.

1 Note that the tourism industry in Australia’s southern states tends to use the term ‘Aboriginal tourism’ while northern states (ie. Queensland and Northern Territory) mostly use the term ‘Indigenous tourism’. Western Australia tends to use both. The word ‘Aboriginal tourism’ generally refers to cultural tourism experiences

The case studies include:

1. Riverlife Mirrabooka, a partnership

between Riverlife and Nunukul Yuggera

Aboriginal Dancers, (Brisbane);

2. The Bama Way Aboriginal Journeys, a

partnership between Adventure North

Australia and three Aboriginal operators

(from Cairns to Cooktown) - Kuku Yalanji

Cultural Habitat Tours, Janbal Gallery and

Guurrbi Tours;

3. Kimberley Wilderness Adventures (owned

by Australian Pacific Tours) working with

Wunan Foundation, Imintji Aboriginal

Community Inc. and Kandiwal community

(WA);

4. Tom Knell, currently of Kimberley Wild

Expeditions, who has partnered with

Aboriginal businesses to deliver Uluru and

Top End cultural experiences while working

for various tour operators.

Key findings

Some common themes for the development of

successful partnerships between Indigenous and

non-Indigenous tourism partners include:

a. Mutual respect and trust. This is the

founding premise for all of the partnerships

studied. It involves making an effort to

understand each other’s cultural practices

and ways of operating a business. It also

includes accepting where work fits into the

priorities of all partners, and identifying an

approach that respects this. It also includes

making an effort to understand the

and services provided by mainland and Tasmanian Aboriginal Australians, whereas the term ‘Indigenous tourism’ encompasses cultural tourism experiences provided by first nations people from mainland Australia, Tasmania and the Torres Strait Islands.


realities of working in the tourism

industry, how industry structures work,

consumer expectations, etc.

Respecting each other includes providing

business advice only when asked and

accepting the other’s decisions.

b. Common values and shared goals. Before

any partnership commences, it is important

that the potential partners meet and talk,

and share their views and plans about an

alliance to see if they have similar

aspirations and common values.

It is important that each partner articulates

what they want out of the collaboration –

their expectations about what it will

produce, which may be different for each

partner. This means all partners can work

towards achieving these.

c. Good communication. Regular, open,

honest and timely communication is

foundational for a healthy relationship. This

includes face-to-face meetings - phone /

email is not enough.

d. Nurture the relationship. As with all

partnerships, invest in developing the

relationship. Good partners – authentic

people - care about more than just the

money. Show your genuine interest in each

other’s lives, who they are as people. This

increases the resilience of the partnership

when difficulties arise.

e. Uncomplicated business arrangements.

Keep business structures as simple as

possible. If a co-operative agreement can

suffice rather than a joint venture, then use

that model.

f. Clear partnership agreement. Make sure

there is a written partnership agreement in

place and keep it as simple as possible.

Only include in contracts what is absolutely

necessary, such as goals, clearly defined

roles and responsibilities, financial structure

and payment processes. The partnership

agreement should be revised and updated

annually.

g. Strategic planning. Decide together on

directions and arrangements for the

partnership that are mutually beneficial.

Avoid attempting to tie a partner into an

exclusive contract that may ultimately

diminish their viability. Conversely, avoid

overwhelming a partner with work demands

they cannot meet. Respect the inter-

dependence of the partner businesses for

success.

h. Strong and consistent leadership. Ensure

that the leadership within each business is

strong and stable. This minimises

disruptions to relationships, reduces the

potential for cultural misunderstandings,

and encourages the continued commitment

to the arrangement.


1. Introduction

1.1 Significance of Indigenous Tourism

Indigenous tourism makes a substantial

contribution to tourism activity in Australia.

Australia hosted nearly half a million domestic

overnight Indigenous tourism visitors in 2014

which generated nearly 3.5 million tourism

visitor nights.2 Of these, 72,000 (or 14%) stayed

in Victoria.

Interest in Indigenous tourism by domestic

markets is growing strongly, with an average 9%

p.a. increase over the last 4 years. In Victoria,

visitation increased by 9% in the last 12

months.3

Australia also received 671,000 international

overnight Indigenous tourism visitors in 2014,

who generated nearly 40 million visitor nights.

International overnight visitation by Indigenous

tourists to Victoria has increased marginally in

the last 4 years (+0.2% p.a.) but visitor nights

have increased by 4.4% p.a. indicating that yield

from the market is increasing.

Victorian visitor market research indicates that

the state’s target markets are looking for a

deeper, more authentic experience of place on

their travels, with opportunities to learn about

the environment, culture and community.

Indigenous tourism experiences provide insights

into ancient cultures and their connections to

the land, flora and wildlife. They are an

excellent complement to the breadth of product

offer that satisfies Victoria’s target markets

including nature, food and wine, wellbeing and

outdoor adventure.

Indigenous tourism can also bring substantial

benefits to host communities and business

owners. These include employment and

economic outcomes, but also the opportunity to

reinforce cultural practices, to promote their

culture to the wider Australian population, and

to earn a living while immersed in their culture.

1.2 Purpose of the Research

Why partner?

Victoria has a very small Aboriginal tourism

sector of approximately 20 businesses, and yet

Aboriginal tourism’s potential to enhance

visitors’ experiences of Melbourne and regional

Victoria is largely considered by destination

managers to be significant.

In order to improve the viability of current

businesses, and to encourage the development

of new ones, it’s important to address the

obstacles that are stifling the potential of the

sector to grow.

One of these is capacity, including access to

appropriate resources and skills.

2 Tourism Victoria, Aboriginal Tourism Market

Profile, year ending June 2014

3 Data unavailable prior to 2013.


Some Aboriginal tourism operators have

significant expertise in operating various aspects

of their business but require assistance with

others to further develop. Building business

capacity has been identified by Tourism Victoria

as a key direction to progress the state’s

Aboriginal tourism sector.4

A partnership with another business can be a

useful mechanism to ‘import’ the skills needed

by an enterprise, share business risk, as well as

build the capacity (human and financial) of both

businesses. It is one of a number of

opportunities for a business to improve their

sustainability.

Partnering with a non-Aboriginal business can

be used as a limited term strategy for an

Aboriginal tourism business that has a goal of

operating as a fully Aboriginal-owned and

operated business, or it could be used as a

longer-term business arrangement.

For a non-Aboriginal tourism business, a

partnership with an Aboriginal tourism business

can help to create a competitive advantage

where there is customer demand for authentic,

cultural experiences, or where the business

seeks to differentiate its products from its

competitors’.

In summary, the various reasons why businesses

engage in partnerships to deliver Aboriginal

tourism experiences include:

Access to skills, assets, and other resources

Access to an expanded market

Access to labour

Create new products and services –

strengthen point of difference

A sense of corporate / social / community

responsibility

Improve the company’s public image

What are the benefits?

Potential outcomes of a successful partnership

in Aboriginal tourism include:

Increasing the profitability of participating

businesses;

Increasing employment in participating

businesses;

Developing the skills of employees; and

Increasing the availability of Aboriginal

tourism experiences to the consumer.

1.3 Aim of the Project

The aim of the project is to study the practices

of Aboriginal tourism enterprises which have

formed a formal or informal partnership, or a

joint venture, with a non-Aboriginal tourism

business, where this has resulted in a significant

improvement to the sustainability of both

businesses.

The focus of the project has been to select

successful partnerships involving private sector

or community-based tourism businesses that

have operated for over three years without

reliance on government funding.

There are currently no examples of successful

partnerships in Victoria between an Aboriginal

and a non-Aboriginal tourism business, so the

study has involved a selection of case studies

from interstate.

4 Tourism Victoria, Victoria’s Aboriginal Tourism

Development Strategy, 2013-2023.


1.4 Methodology

a. Consultation with Tourism Victoria and

industry representatives to identify

potential partnerships for inclusion in the

study. See Appendix 2, List of Contacts.

b. Desktop research of similar studies.

c. Selection of four case studies of partnership

tourism businesses located interstate with

success in areas such as growth in financial

turnover, skill development, employment

and asset acquisition, amongst others.

d. Interviews with the managers / owners in

the partnerships (field trips and telephone

calls) to:

Identify the objectives of the

partnership;

Explore the structural, operational, skill

development, communications,

decision making, and financial

(including profit sharing) arrangements;

Identify operational processes and

strategies that worked well / didn’t

work well;

Explore how skills, employment and

other economic benefits have improved

over time for participating businesses

and their employees.

e. Preparation of a report of the findings and

dissemination of the results through:

Victoria Tourism Industry Council -

briefing to the board, article in VTIC

newsletter, presentation, summary of

project findings on VTIC website, and

other industry sites / communication

tools as requested;

Briefings to interested organisations by

request and as part of project work;

Dissemination of the research report to

participating businesses and

organisations who have expressed

interest in the project.


2. Types of Partnerships

According to a comprehensive Canadian study

into partnerships between Aboriginal and non-

Aboriginal businesses5, partnerships can exist in

many forms including percentages of ownership,

contractual partnerships, joint management of a

company, strategic alliances among separate

and distinct companies, cooperative business

agreements, highly formalised arrangements

supported by legal agreements, informal ‘verbal’

agreements to work together, the creation of

new legal entities, and business-to-business

partnerships. Partnerships can be short or long

term.

The different types of partnership vary

enormously in terms of investment required,

level of joint control and decision making,

governance processes, and obligations.

Joint ventures, where a distinct business entity

is established that is jointly owned by both

parties, is one of the most formalised types of

partnership in terms of governance structure

and processes. It requires the sharing of risks

and profits by all partners.

Cooperative business arrangements tend to be

near the other end of the “formality” scale,

where independent companies enter into an

arrangement to deliver a service or product for

mutual benefits. However, the ownership of the

partner businesses remains separate.

There are also other types of business

partnerships such as service contracting,

management planning, socio-economic

partnerships, etc.

5 Lori Ann Roness Consulting and Mary Collier,

Examining Partnership Arrangements between

Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Businesses, for Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat, 2010


Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal Dancers, based in

Ipswich, Queensland, have been bringing their

traditional and contemporary songs and dances

to Australian and international audiences for 20

years. The troupe has performed extensively in

Australia and across the globe, including Europe,

New Zealand, Asia, USA, Canada, and others.

The directors of the dance troupe are

descendants of the Nunukul, Yuggera, Yugimbir

and Nugi tribes. They started the troupe as a

way to reconnect young Indigenous people with

their cultures. With well over 100 dancers

working with the troupe over the years, they

have never looked back. The results, in terms of

engendering pride and self-confidence in the

region’s youth, and providing employment

opportunities, have been stunning.

Riverlife, located in the heart of Brisbane on the

Brisbane River in the old Kangaroo Point Naval

Stores, started out as an outdoor adventure

company in 2005. It focused on kayaking,

cycling, abseiling, and later stand-up paddle and

Segway tours, to name a few.

With its spectacular river-side location, the

company rapidly expanded into the weddings

and functions market, and discovered an

opportunity to become the Brisbane-based host

of the Nunukul Yuggera

Aboriginal Dancers.

Why partner?

Founding director of

Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal

Dancers,

Eddie Ruska, first met Riverlife founder, John

Sharpe, through a mutual acquaintance. “We

needed a physical base in Brisbane,” recalls

Eddie, “while we were looking for new

opportunities,” says John, “and we like to

support people who are doing good things.”

Riverlife Mirrabooka grew out of the

collaboration – a new ‘product’ for Riverlife

where their visitors could experience aspects of

local Indigenous culture, and access to new

markets in the Brisbane area for the dance

troupe.

The main markets for Riverlife Mirrabooka are

international visitors, including cruise ships and

students, and local residents who are

accompanied by international visitors.

3. Case Study: Riverlife

Mirrabooka


Establishing a good partnership

Respecting values

Both John and Eddie indicated the need for

mutual understanding and respect as a

prerequisite to entering into a partnership. John

had already spent a lot of time with Aboriginal

communities in the Northern Territory before

meeting Eddie and he knew the importance of

respecting culture.

“Family and ceremony come first in Indigenous

cultures. Work is second. This is the proper and

natural order of things.”

John understood that he needed to become just

as important as family and ceremony to be well-

looked after.

“The most important thing for the partnership

to work is the relationship,” says John. “We’re

friends. We travel a lot together, have a good

time together.” “It will only work if there’s

mutual respect,” says Eddie.

The consistency of their leadership within their

respective organisations has also undoubtedly

been a contributing factor to the success and

longevity of the partnership. The pair

understand each other’s goals and the

outcomes they seek from the partnership, and

each works to help the other achieve them.

For John, this has also included the need to train

staff to be aware of and appreciate their

partner’s cultural values so the experience of

the collaboration for all participants is

supportive and constructive.

Partnership agreement

Eddie and John developed a simple agreement

for Riverlife Mirrabooka – a one pager was all

they needed. Their arrangement hasn’t

required the establishment of a separate legal

entity, or anything vaguely complex. The

agreement states the roles of each organisation,

income splits and payment arrangements.

Accordingly, Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal

Dancers are in charge of the creative and

cultural content of programs, including the

development and performance of dances, songs

and activities such as didgeridoo playing and

boomerang throwing.

Riverlife is responsible for marketing and sales,

and organising bookings and administration.

For these duties, the dance troupe is allocated

two-thirds of the income for cultural programs,

and Riverlife is allocated one-third. When

cultural programs are conducted off-site but

booked through Riverlife, the dance troupe

receives all the income.


So what are the benefits?

Riverlife and Nunukul Yuggera have now been in

business together for 10 years. Riverlife

Mirrabooka takes about 60 bookings a year –

approximately 30 conducted on site at Kangaroo

Point and another 30 off-site at various

locations. (The dance troupe also takes other

bookings independently.)

According to John, “Working with the dance

troupe has increased the depth and variety of

what we offer. It’s been good for business.” It

also fulfils his social responsibility goals by

supporting an initiative that has direct, positive

impacts on young Indigenous people.

“It’s not a ‘job’ for the boys in the troupe – they

love what they do,” says John. “Yes”, agrees

Eddie, “they would dance seven days a week if

they could!”

“We encourage the dancers to talk with the

guests after a performance,” comments Eddie.

“It is a big part of the experience for

international visitors. And the boys learn heaps

from talking them. It changes them, gives them

more confidence and opens them up to a bigger

world.”

“Our goal is to share our culture. If we wanted

to make a million dollars, we wouldn’t be in the

business,” says Eddie. “But we’re making a bit

of money along the way, and doing what we

believe in,” adds John.

www.riverlife.com.au

http://www.riverlife.com.au/


“The Aboriginal cultures here

are so amazing. I want people

to have that experience.

Sharing what you love about

where you live is what creates

really special, unique

experiences,” explains

Adventure North Australia’s

founder and managing director,

Maryanne Jacques.

Maryanne is responsible for the

creation of The Bama Way Aboriginal Journeys,

a one, two or three day touring concept

between Cairns and Cooktown that features

three Aboriginal tourism businesses:

Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tours (near

Mossman) where visitors venture out onto

the coastal sand flats and mangroves at low

tide for a spot of hunting and gathering with

one of the Walker brothers of the Kuku

Yalanji clan. The aim is to find tucker for

morning tea (the menu usually include

crabs, mussels and fish which are cooked up

for everyone to share);

Janbal Gallery (Mossman) where visitors

wander through the gallery and studio of

local Aboriginal artist, Binna Swindley, and

participate in a dot painting workshop; and

Guurrbi Tour’s rock art tour (near

Cooktown) with Nugal-warra elder, Willie

Gordon, who takes visitors through the rock

art on his ancestral lands located high above

the township of Hope Vale, a short drive

from Cooktown.

According to Maryanne, ‘Bama’ (pronounced

bumma) in Kuku Yalanji and Guugu Yimithirr

language refers to a person of Indigenous or

non-Indigenous race. The Bama Way is about

bringing everyone along on a journey through

country regardless of race.

Based in Cairns, Adventure North Australia

started in 2004 offering personalised 4WD

tours. The Bama Way has now been in the

market for 8 years and it has become one of

Adventure North’s main tour products. While

the tour was originally designed with the

international market in mind, its popularity has

grown to include a higher than expected

proportion of domestic visitors.

4. Case Study: Adventure North

Australia and The Bama Way

Aboriginal Journeys



Business Arrangements

In the early days of the partnership, there was

no written agreement outlining the partnership

arrangements between Adventure North and

the businesses in The Bama Way. The

arrangement has always been based on good

communication, shared goals, and a lot of give

and take – like any good relationship, really!

Where cultural misunderstandings arise, there

has been a healthy dose of respect and

tolerance to see things through.

Adventure North’s roles in the partnership are

to provide marketing, sales, administration, and

logistical support including transport in the

venture. The Indigenous tourism operators

organise cultural content, and provide trained

guides and any other equipment needed on the

tours.

For many years, the allocation of tour income

was structured so that after overheads were

deducted, 25% of income was spent on

commissions and 75% was allocated to the

Indigenous operators. In the early days of

establishing the partnership, Adventure North

did not negotiate with the operators to

contribute towards marketing costs, which have

been substantial over the years. This has

proved to be a costly burden to Adventure

North, but one which Maryanne has continued

to work through.

Now there is greater documentation of roles,

responsibilities and the sharing of costs such as

marketing which underpins a more sustainable

business model.

To help launch and evolve the partnership over

the years, international marketing assistance

has been provided by Tourism and Events

Queensland and Tourism Australia. All three

Indigenous businesses and The Bama Way are

participants of the Indigenous Tourism

Champions Program managed by Tourism

Australia and Indigenous Business Australia.

Why partner?

Willie Gordon of Guurrbi Tours is one of The

Bama Way’s remarkable operators. He provides

interpretation of the rock art located in the

caves on the lands where he was born, and

where his ancestors for thousands of years have

been born. Willie has a fantastic capacity to

connect people from all over the world to his

stories, which cover themes of family life, birth,

death and relationship with the earth. Some of

the big issues you might say!

Willie started the business without any

government funding (which is the way he likes

it) in order to stay in the driver’s seat of his own

business and to avoid having to ‘fit’ into others’

way of operating.

He saw a partnership with Maryanne as an

opportunity for someone to do the marketing,

etc. while he focuses on the “hard bits” like

training up young guides. Training guides has

been a long term goal - a part of his succession

planning, but also a part of his vision to create

local jobs for young Indigenous people.

In terms of choosing a business partner, Willie

was looking for someone who had skills to

complement his. “No-one has all the knowledge

on their own. We don’t just rely on the

knowledge of one person for things to work, we

bring the whole group together. This is the

traditional way,” says Willie.


Keys to success

There are a number of factors that Willie and

Maryanne have considered important for the

success of their partnership.

For Willie, it has been better to establish a

collaboration, an informal partnership, rather

than a joint venture. “It’s better that everyone

looks after their own part of the partnership,

and maintains ownership of their own business.

This way you can control your own destiny, and

tear up the contract if it’s not working. It’s

much harder to do this in a joint venture.”

“It’s also important to nurture the relationship,

bring families and friends together. This helps

people to know each other better, and be more

accommodating with each other,” says Willie.

“Willie knows I’ve got his interests at heart,”

adds Maryanne. “We’ve got each other’s

interests at heart.”

For Maryanne, before any collaborative venture

can start, it’s important to bring everyone

together to work out roles and financial

arrangements. Her advice is to find out each

other’s expectations and preferred outcomes so

everyone can help make them happen. She

understands that the priorities of her Indigenous

partners are family first, work second.

While there have been few issues, Maryanne

has also learned that it would be valuable to

document roles and arrangements in a

partnership agreement from the outset, and to

organise contributions for marketing from

all partners. Travel trade structures and

commissionable pricing should also be

understood by all partners from the beginning.

She’s also aware that she should never tell her

partners how to run their business but give

advice if asked. It has taken many years for the

businesses and their products to evolve but they

have done so steadily and with great results,

including being export-ready. “The Bama Way

businesses have always been very reliable;

there’s great commitment there,” she said.

The way ahead

As part of the evolution of the partnership, in

2015 Adventure North will become a booking

and marketing agency for Guurrbi Tours and

Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tours, in addition

to The Bama Way bookings. This leaves the

operators able to focus more fully on tour

content and delivery rather than generating

demand. In Willie’s instance, he is also working

with a training provider to train up more young

Indigenous people to work within Guurrbi Tours

so the company can take more tour bookings.

“It’s not always about the dollars,” says

Maryanne. “It’s more about getting recognition

and acknowledgement for the rich Aboriginal

cultures which are such an important part of

Australia.”

www.bamaway.com.au

www.adventurenorthaustralia.com

http://www.bamaway.com.au/


An interview with Rob Tandy, APT General Manager, Kimberley Wilderness Adventures and other

sources as noted.

Australian Pacific Touring (APT) has had a love

affair with Western Australia’s Kimberley region

for over 40 years, since APT founder, Geoff

McGeary, first took a tour group into the rugged

and vast landscape that is now one of Australia’s

most sought-after travel destinations.

Whilst APT has a thriving international operation

providing tours to every continent, it has a

strong commitment to its Australian heritage

and touring, providing small group 4WD

journeys to the Kimberley and Outback regions.

In 2003, to strengthen its ties with the

Kimberley and its traditional owners, APT was

invited to enter into a joint venture with the

Wunan Foundation6, an Aboriginal economic

development agency, to own and manage

Kimberley Wilderness Adventures (KWA). KWA

is a touring company which operates a network

of wilderness lodges throughout the region,

providing access to Aboriginal lands and cultural

experiences.

6 The Wunan Foundation is an Aboriginal development

organisation in the East Kimberley focused on long-term

The demand for KWA’s close-up experiences of

the Kimberley’s ancient landscape and cultures

is largely driven by the baby boomer market,

with 95% of visitors from Australia and 5% from

abroad (in particular German, United Kingdom

and New Zealand markets). The market seeks

wilderness experiences during the day and

creature comforts at night, which KWA provides

through its custom built 4WD vehicles and

upmarket lodges. Most importantly, travellers

want to interact with local Aboriginal people, to

learn from them and about them, to gain a more

intimate understanding of the land and its

people. For many, this proves to be the most

memorable part of their trip.

According to Rob Tandy, general manager of

KWA, “When one of our Aboriginal staff or

partners boards our vehicle to help with the

guiding, or local Aboriginal kids drop by at one

of the lodges to say hello, the guests absolutely

love it. These personal, genuine and normally

spontaneous interactions are often the

experiences that have the greatest impact on

their trip.”

socio-economic change for Aboriginal people through education, employment and accommodation.

5. Case Study: Kimberley

Wilderness Adventures


The Partnerships

When APT originally bought into KWA with the

Wunan Foundation, the touring company had

been operating for several years and was going

well. However, according to the Foundation’s

then business development manager, Paul

Davis7, it had reached a stage where additional

marketing reach was needed, as well as stronger

capital investment with infrastructure costs

inherently expensive in remote locations. The

Foundation needed a partner with “deeper

pockets” who respected their goals and

approach. APT was considered to be a company

which showed a "real understanding" of

Indigenous issues in the region.8

With its years of experience in the touring

industry, APT brought to the venture a strong

track record in marketing, sales distribution and

product delivery. According to Rob, APT’s role

was to drive business and logistics. They used

their strong past passenger database and travel

agent networks to boost visitation and

conducted co-operative marketing with Tourism

Western Australia. They also directed significant

investment into the upgrade of the wilderness

lodges and touring vehicles, and shifted the

operations base to Broome to provide better

logistical support.

7 Ruby Summerson, Country Biz, May 30, 2006,

http://finance.ninemsn.com.au

The role of the Wunan Foundation in the

venture was to develop and fill employment

opportunities for local Aboriginal people within

the company, supported by training. It also

worked with local communities to build

understanding and support for the venture, and

helped to organise leasing arrangements.

While the nature of the partnership between

the Foundation and APT has changed in recent

years, with APT now the sole owner of KWA,

there is still a strong relationship between the

organisations and a commitment to a

collaborative approach to maximise the

experience of KWA’s passengers in the

Kimberley. This is now underpinned by a

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

In particular, APT provides employment

opportunities through KWA, with the

Foundation helping to identify appropriate

people for tour guiding, and other positions

such as camp hosts who are based at the Bungle

Bungles wilderness lodge. APT also helps to

build the skills of these staff / contractors.

By employing Aboriginal people in the business,

APT ensures there are opportunities for genuine

interaction between KWA passengers and

members of local Aboriginal communities, while

also meeting the Foundation’s objectives of

boosting local employment and capacity.

8 Ibid.


Keys to Successful Partnerships

Through APT’s long experience working with

Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley, there

have been some key practices that have helped

to develop fruitful, long-term partnerships.

Formalised arrangements to provide

financial returns to traditional owners from

tourism activity through the establishment

of leases with the Aboriginal Lands Council.

This includes leasing fees for the siting of

wilderness lodges on traditional lands

designed on a fee per visitor basis.

Formalised arrangements with the Wunan

Foundation during the joint management of

KWA. In latter years, the partnership has

been clearly defined through a MOU.

Establishing and maintaining good

relationships has been a critical ingredient

for the success of KWA. Regular

communication is maintained between

KWA’s regional manager based at Broome,

the Wunan Foundation and members of

local Aboriginal communities where tourism

activities occur. It has also been important

for KWA’s head office staff based in

Melbourne, such as Rob and Geoff, to

maintain personal connections with

members of the Aboriginal communities

they are working with.

Building trust and developing a deep

understanding of each partner’s needs has

helped to maintain everyone’s involvement

and commitment.

An approach that APT has used to

strengthen relationships with local

communities has been through the camp

hosts, who are based at each wilderness

lodge for the duration of the operating

season (May to September). One of their

natural tendencies has been to form

genuine relationships with local Aboriginal

community members through the operation

of the camps, which can lead to social visits

that are really appreciated by guests. This

has always been supported by APT.

The involvement of the Wunan Foundation,

as an on-ground Aboriginal organisation,

has been a critical part of the

communication chain, as well as playing

important roles in capacity building and

engagement with Aboriginal community

members.

Common goals between the various parties

has also supported the partnership,

especially the commitment to positive

employment outcomes for local

communities. Ensuring that tourism activity

significantly benefits the locals is one of

APT’s core objectives.


As part of extending the benefits of their

operations in the Kimberley, APT keeps an

eye out for opportunities to support

community activities and to help people

achieve their goals. In particular, APT has

supported a range of initiatives in the Imintji

and Kandiwal communities.

“Through our work in the region, we’ve

made friends with many of the people who

live in the communities. We want to help

and we try to find ways we can add value to

what they’re doing,” says Rob.

Many members of the Imintji community -

traditional owners of the area on which Bell

Gorge Wilderness Lodge is located - are

talented artists. To support their work, for

many years APT has provided art materials

so they can continue painting. APT has also

made exhibition space available at the

wilderness lodge so guests can peruse and

purchase their work. One hundred percent

of the revenue goes to the community and

the sales are directly proportional to the

contact the community has with the

passengers.

The Kandiwal Community, the traditional

owners of the land on which KWA’s Mitchell

Falls Wilderness Lodge is built, has been a

close partner since they started investing in

the region. APT recently supported the

community with donations of $190,000 to

help install electrical infrastructure to

power a new school; and contributed

$77,000 to fund two tutors to live on the

Mitchell Plateau to deliver the education

syllabus, in collaboration with the School of

the Air. This provided critical learning

opportunities for the communities’ children.

APT’s approach to commercial success is based

on delivering authentic visitor experiences in

spectacular locations. It would also be fair to

say that it is characterised by its authentic

relationships with local people and

organisations. Its approach certainly appears to

be working with APT voted ‘Best Domestic Tour

Operator' for the third consecutive year.

According to Rob, there is “lots of demand for

Aboriginal tourism experiences but limited

reliable supply.” The more local communities

and groups they can engage through the

operations of KWA, the higher the employment

and resultant benefits, and the stronger the

learning experiences for passengers.

Partnerships have been an excellent way for

everyone to benefit from tourism in the region.

www.kimberleywilderness.com.au

http://www.kimberleywilderness.com.au/


Image courtesy of Peter Eve and Tourism NT

An Interview with Tom Knell, National Operations Manager, Kimberley Wild Expeditions

Tom Knell is an experienced hand when it comes

to managing partnerships in the Aboriginal

touring sector. There is a list of situations he

can recollect when partnerships have gone sour,

only to be restored again by applying some

simple rules of thumb.

Tom has worked as a product manager for some

of Australia’s best tour companies offering

Aboriginal cultural experiences, including

Kimberley Wild Expeditions, Intrepid Travel and

Adventure Tours Australia.

In this case study, Tom shares some of his

experiences and insights from working with

Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal businesses in

Uluru and the Top End.

Uluru Cultural Experiences

Communications and Cultural Understanding

Some years ago, Tom worked for a non-

Indigenous touring company who brought

visitors to Uluru and other destinations on

multi-day tours. He was brought on board

particularly to help establish a partnership with

local Aboriginal elders who had been conducting

tours for another company but the relationship

had broken down. The reason it had become

dysfunctional was largely attributable to poor

communication. There were two non-Aboriginal

businesses in the supply chain between the

Aboriginal tour guides and the travel company

who sold the tours. It was a structure that

encouraged problems rather than reduced

them.

When seeking to develop a new partnership

with the elders, Tom first took the time to find

out their perspectives, cultural ways and

expectations of their tour business and business

partners. When a good rapport was established

and they all decided there was solid ground for

a partnership, they established a contract

directly between themselves, thus removing the

involvement of a middleman, which could cause

unnecessary confusion and misunderstandings.

The new structure proved to be effective and

the partnership flourished over time.

In the early days of the partnership, there were

occasional challenges over punctuality and

financial arrangements. It was important that

each partner informed the other of their

expectations and reasoning, including meeting

consumer, travel trade and / or cultural

expectations. Determining a resolution

6. Case Study: Uluru and Top

End Cultural Experiences


Image courtesy of Michael Nelson, Parks Australia

involved spending time together discussing the

issues and negotiating the best process for all.

Once people understood each other’s perspectives

or requirements, the problem usually dissolved

quite quickly

Contractual Arrangements

The contract between Tom’s company and the

elders was very simple and brief. It was for a 12

month period, and basically stated an agreed price

and the delivery time of the tours. This suited both

partners well.

An issue arose at one point when Tom’s

management was pushing for an exclusive contract

with the Aboriginal guides, which meant they

wouldn’t be able to provide services to other tour

operators. This was not sustainable for the small

tours business, which needed other customers to

remain viable. There was concern from Tom’s

company that without an exclusive contract, it

would lose its competitive position in the Uluru

market.

However, the company came to recognise that its

success was tied to that of the fledgling business,

and their policies and approach needed to change

to support it. “It’s important that partner

businesses support each other to be viable or you

can end up with no product at all,” says Tom.

As a result, efforts to secure an exclusive

arrangement were abandoned and the Aboriginal

tour business established a contract with another

company, which helped to shore up its customer

base. As the markets for its two partner tour

companies were very different, there was little

treading on each other’s toes and the situation

resolved well.

Tom’s company also identified that it could

strengthen the viability of its partner by boosting

the business’ profile in international marketing

activities, such as brochures, without requiring a

financial contribution.

The Aboriginal tours business is now “going great

guns”, according to Tom. They have a profile in

leading travel guides, have received television

coverage, and conduct journalist familiarisation

tours, and other promotional activities.

Top End Cultural Experiences

Another valuable experience for Tom has been

working with Aboriginal communities in Northern

Territory’s Kakadu region to develop outdoor

adventure and cultural activities for a non-

Indigenous tour company.

Tom was brought on board by the tour company

particularly to help re-establish a relationship with

an Aboriginal tours business that had deteriorated

because of a lack of communication and

disagreements about contract terms.

One of the main issues was the expectation by the

non-Indigenous tour company of exclusive access

to the Aboriginal tours experiences. However,

there wasn’t enough business from the company

to support the Aboriginal enterprise so they had to

withdraw from the arrangement.


Image courtesy of Peter Eve & Tourism NT

When Tom revived discussions, he focused on

securing a new, non-exclusive arrangement.

The tour company came to understand it

needed to support the viability of the small

Aboriginal tours business which would

ultimately support its own business.

Tom stresses that in any partnership it’s also

equally important to avoid overwhelming

partner businesses with work they can’t keep up

with. In the intensive field of tour guiding,

guides can wear out but may keep accepting

work, not realising they could end up

withdrawing from the whole business.

When Tom works with Aboriginal communities,

he conducts negotiations on their land in an

environment of their choice. “It’s important to

work in with the community’s cultural ways,

whilst also making clear our company’s needs,”

says Tom. “There’s often a lack of awareness

amongst non-Aboriginal people when working

with Aboriginal people about their specific

cultural traditions and customs. Often offence

can be caused when none was intended. Simple

things can create misunderstandings. People

need to find out about and respect others’

cultural sensitivities.”

Considerations for Success

From Tom’s perspective, some of the most

important elements for the success of a

partnership between Aboriginal and non-

Aboriginal tourism businesses include:

Good communication is the vital ingredient

in most successful partnerships. It’s

important to deal with any issues that arise

immediately, either by phone or face-to-

face. There is a need to explain what and

why things have transpired and then, often

easily, problems are resolved.

Find out the cultural ways of your partners.

Spend time getting to know and understand

each other.

Consider the viability of all your partners

when setting strategic directions and

policies. Better still, develop your strategic

directions with your partners. Just being

concerned about “price per unit sold” will

inevitably not work with Aboriginal

partners.

Do what you can to strengthen the viability

of your partners, such as providing support,

promotional opportunities, advice when

asked, etc.

If there’s a change in staff within the

partnership, it’s important to introduce

them to all participating businesses.

Make sure invoices are paid promptly. There

have been instances of unscrupulous, non-

Aboriginal tour operators not paying

Aboriginal guides, which has encouraged a

degree of distrust in the sector. If there’s an

unexpected delay in your capacity to pay, it’s

important to be upfront and honest about

what has happened and why.


Some common themes for the development of

successful partnerships between Indigenous and

non-Indigenous tourism partners emerged from

the case studies, including:

a. Mutual respect and trust. This is the

founding premise for all of the partnerships

studied. It involves making an effort to

understand each other’s cultural practices

and ways of operating a business. It also

includes accepting where work fits into the

priorities of all partners, and identifying an

approach that respects this. It also includes

making an effort to understand the realities

of working in the tourism industry, how

industry structures work, consumer

expectations, etc.

Respecting each other includes providing

business advice only when asked and

accepting the other’s decisions.

b. Common values and shared goals. Before

any partnership commences, it is important

that the potential partners meet and talk,

and share their views and plans about an

alliance to see if they have similar

aspirations and common values.

It is important that each partner articulates

what they want out of the collaboration –

their expectations about what it will

produce, which may be different for each

partner. This means all partners can work

towards achieving these.

c. Good communication. Regular, open,

honest and timely communication is

foundational for a healthy relationship. This

includes face-to-face meetings - phone /

email is not enough.

d. Nurture the relationship. As with all

partnerships, invest in developing the

relationship. Good partners – authentic

people - care about more than just the

money. Show your genuine interest in each

other’s lives, who they are as people. This

increases the resilience of the partnership

when difficulties arise.

e. Uncomplicated business arrangements.

Keep business structures as simple as

possible. If a co-operative agreement can

suffice rather than a joint venture, then use

that model.

f. Clear partnership agreement. Make sure

there is a written partnership agreement in

place and keep it as simple as possible.

Only include in contracts what is absolutely

necessary, such as goals, clearly defined

roles and responsibilities, financial structure

and payment processes. The ‘partnership

agreement’ should be revised and updated

annually.

g. Strategic planning. Decide together on

directions and arrangements for the

partnership that are mutually beneficial.

Don’t try to tie a partner into an exclusive

contract that can diminish their viability.

Conversely, avoid overwhelming the other

with work demands that they can’t meet.

Respect the inter-dependence of the

partner businesses for success.

h. Strong and consistent leadership. Ensure

that the leadership within each business is

strong and stable. This minimises

disruptions to relationships, reduces the

potential for cultural misunderstandings,

and encourages the continued commitment

to the arrangement.

7. Summary of Key Findings


Comparison of Findings with

Canadian Research

A study was undertaken for the Atlantic Policy

Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat9 to

provide insight into the types of joint

Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal business partnerships

emerging in Atlantic Canada, and the factors

that led (or are leading) to their success.

It included an analysis of 10 case studies

involving partnerships across a range of industry

sectors. The types of partnerships varied from

joint ventures and highly formalised

arrangements, to co-operative business

agreements and informal ‘verbal’ agreements to

collaborate.

Similar to the findings in the Indigenous Tourism

Partnerships Project, the Canadian study

suggests the following factors are important for

business success:

Clear vision, goals, roles and responsibilities,

and policies;

Clear and transparent accountability;

Meaningful engagement of the aboriginal

partner in business planning;

Mutual cultural understanding;

Strategic planning;

Employment of qualified people;

Strong leadership;

Monitoring and performance measurement;

and

A fair and effective dispute resolution

mechanism.

Other aspects that the study suggested are

important for success include:

A governance model;

Separation of business and politics.

Points of difference to mainstream partnerships According to the same study, partnerships

involving Aboriginal businesses tend to differ

from mainstream partnerships in the following

ways:

Focus on profits without sacrificing cultural

integrity;

Social obligation – a core driver is to ‘give

back’, provide opportunities for the next

generation. Aim is often to involve / benefit

as many Aboriginal people as the business

can afford;

Business practices are imbued with cultural

practices – there tends to be no separation

between work and culture.

9 Lori Ann Roness Consulting and Mary Collier,

Examining Partnership Arrangements between

Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Businesses, for Atlantic

Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat, 2010


APPENDIX 1: Research Excerpt – Joint Ventures in Indigenous Tourism

Following is an excerpt from the National

Indigenous Tourism Forum Proceedings Report:

Tourism - the Indigenous Opportunity (2000)

that reinforces many of the findings in this

report, and provides some additional insights

into Indigenous and non-Indigenous tourism

partnerships.

Joint Ventures

Joint ventures provide an opportunity for

Indigenous people and communities to take part

in the tourism industry. At the National

Indigenous Tourism Forum in Sydney in 2000,

some successful joint ventures were highlighted.

These included:

Gagudju Crocodile Hotel - Northern

Territory

Tjakupai Aboriginal Cultural Park –

Queensland

Ampiji (North Queensland Pty Ltd) –

Queensland

Gordon River Cruises – Tasmania

Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge Cruises -

Northern Territory

Their success is due to a strong and professional

partnership between the Indigenous and non-

Indigenous operators.

The problems

Some of the problems that occur in joint

ventures are caused by the non-Indigenous

partners. They may not understand the diversity

of Indigenous cultures. They may not know that

each community is unique because of language,

lifestyle, traditions and community likes and

dislikes. They may also not be interested in local

community and family issues or cultural issues.

They may not want to listen and learn.

Sometimes Indigenous people assume that the

non-Indigenous partner must know what they

are doing. They may feel as though they don't

have the skills the non-Indigenous people have.

So they trust the partner to always be correct.

This can lead to big problems.

Other problems are caused by external forces.

Some examples are:

difficulties with time frames and "red tape"

caused by the funding source for the

venture

the project may be stalled by someone who

is not happy with it

the need for a long lead time (often years)

to establish the venture as a profitable

business

contracts not drawn up with professional

help - casual arrangements can lead to

conflict

unstable market

Ingredients for success

Ecotourism is not "whitefella business". It is not

"blackfella" business. It is a serious business

with rules, procedures and pressures. Both

partners have an important role to play and

must share equally in the management in ways

that are appropriate. The important things to

do are:

research

establish levels of involvement

respect and negotiate

commit


Research

Both partners need to get to know each other

and to know each other's background. The non-

Indigenous partner has to understand local

Indigenous lifestyle, culture, potential

community impacts, group interests, and the

skills and resources of the people who will be

involved. They need to work with the political

structure (land and local councils, elders and

family groups). The Indigenous partners need to

understand the skills, resources, experience and

motivations of their non-Indigenous partners.

Establish levels of involvement

At the beginning it is essential to establish who

will take on the many roles and responsibilities.

No one can just assume the skills and resources

will be available and that everyone is

competent. Some questions that can be asked

are:

Who will look after the business? - This

includes marketing, bookings, accounting

and management.

Who will look after the day-to-day tasks? -

This includes maintenance, guiding tours,

driving, catering, cultural presentations,

dancing and selling.

Who will fund the venture, borrow and

repay loans? - This includes the conditions

of entry to the land, paying royalties to

traditional owners, sources of

establishment funds and conditions for

finance.

Indigenous partners need to decide if they want

management responsibilities. They need to be

very sure about where they want to be

positioned in the venture.

Respect and negotiate

Respect can be reached through educating each

other and reaching understanding. It is

important to negotiate every aspect of the

venture. It is also important for both partners

to develop ways to cope with things they don't

understand, and be open and honest.

Both partners must respect the ideas, feedback

and needs of the community. They must spend

time communicating information about their

plans, listening and including the wishes of the

community stakeholders in their venture.

Commitment

Many things can go wrong. Together, the

partners can have control over some of these.

However, other problems will be external to the

venture. They include risks like natural

disasters, wars, political changes or transport

strikes. No one has control over these things.

A business plan with risk management strategies

is a start. However, the most important thing is

to give the venture full commitment and energy,

and communicate honestly with each other

about the problems and impacts as they arise.


APPENDIX 2: List of Contacts

Following is a list of people contacted during the project.

Name Organisation

1. Maryanne Jacques Adventure North

2. Rob Tandy Australian Pacific Tours / Kimberley Wilderness Adventures

3. John Morse Consultant

4. Caroline Densley Diverse Travel

5. Willie Gordon Guurrbi Tours

6. Beau Hodge Indigenous Business Australia (Indigenous Tourism Champions

Program)

7. Geoff Manchester Intrepid Travel

8. Tom Knell Kimberley Wild Expeditions

9. John Stafford Tourism Northern Territory

10. Eddie Ruska Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal Dancers

11. Pieter Bosch Outback Tour Services

12. John Sharpe Riverlife

13. Julie O’Brien Tourism and Events Queensland

14. Kathryn Morton Tourism and Events Queensland

15. Nicole Mitchell Tourism Solutions (Indigenous Tourism Champions Program)

16. Teya Deller Tourism Victoria

17. Chris White Tourism Victoria

18. Angelique Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council


APPENDIX 3: Bibliography

1. Queensland Tourism Industry Council, Tourism Indigenous Employment: Case Studies, 2009

2. Lori Ann Roness Consulting and Mary Collier, Examining Partnership Arrangements between Aboriginal

and Non-Aboriginal Businesses, for Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat, 2010

3. Tourism Victoria, Aboriginal Tourism Market Profile, year ending June 2014, National and International

Visitor Surveys

4. Tourism Victoria, Victoria’s Aboriginal Tourism Development Strategy, 2013-2023

5. National Indigenous Tourism Forum Proceedings Report, Tourism - the Indigenous Opportunity (2000)

Small Business & Entrepreneurship

Indigenous tourism partnerships report (vtic small business award)