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
rachel@insightcommunications.com.au
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

“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

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

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)

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