General News
20 October, 2025
Tourists living ‘dream’
THE recovery of the Far North’s international tourism market is leading to a surge in business for Indigenous operators.
Some are reporting record figures as the TNQ Indigenous Experiences Cluster Group met this week during Indigenous Business Month.
Group co-chairman Juan Walker said his business, Walkabout Cultural Adventures, which operates tours on Kuku Yalanji Country, had growth of 13%.
“I anticipate further growth after joining Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) on international trade missions in the western markets over the past year, including a roadshow in the United Kingdom and Europe, as well as attending the Australian Tourism Exchange,” he said.
“We are already getting bookings for September and October next year, like we were achieving before COVID-19, and international business is now more than 70% of our market.”
Co-chairman Dale Mundraby, the operations manager of Mandingalbay Authentic Indigenous Tours, which showcases Mandingalbay Yidinji Country across Trinity Inlet from Cairns, said business had peaked in September with their revamped product.
“We joined TTNQ’s mentoring program to become trade-ready so that we could work with the international market and have put in place many of the necessary certifications with Ecotourism Australia such as ‘Respecting Our Culture Certification’ which help us to get noticed,” he said. “Since relaunching our business in 2022 we have jumped from a handful of guests to 520 in September across our ‘Hands on Country Eco Tour’ and the new ‘Deadly After Dark Sunset Cruise’ including dinner at Ochre.
“Working with partners is a fundamental stepping stone in attracting visitation and we are getting bookings through Ochre, as well as direct to our business since launching that partnership, while other tourism products are also recommending us.”
Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) chief executive officer Mark Olsen said seven Indigenous products had been mentored over the past year to understand how to work with the international tourism distribution system and the destination now had 41 trade-ready experiences in the TNQ ‘Deeper into Dreaming’ brochure.
“The Indigenous experience in tourism is a form of reconciliation that has a huge positive impact in helping to close the gap. It allows visitors to connect in a respectful way to Country, culture and the people at the heart of it.”
