Australian Aborigines & Cultural Tourism
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University of Wollongong Research Online Centre for Multicultural Studies Working Papers Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts 1991 Australian Aborigines & cultural tourism: case studies of Aboriginal involvement in the tourist industry Julie Finlayson Recommended Citation Finlayson, Julie, Australian Aborigines & cultural tourism: case studies of Aboriginal involvement in the tourist industry, Centre for Multicultural Studies, University of Wollongong, Working Paper 15, 1991, 127. http://ro.uow.edu.au/cmsworkpapers/13 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Australian Aborigines & cultural tourism: case studies of Aboriginal involvement in the tourist industry Abstract The principal focus of this report has been with issues of direct concern to Aboriginal people and communities involved with cultural tourism. Report recommendations stress the need for greater consideration of Aboriginal cultural perspectives in the development and implementation of government policies. A central question to emerge from the study is whether cultural tourism is merely a novel angle within current developments in tourism and enjoying a good deal of attention and enthusiasm from tourist organisations and operators, or whether it is primarily a context for commercial enterprise development by Aboriginal people? A related matter is the question of what purpose Aboriginal ventures in cultural tourism are designed to serve and in whose interests they are developed? Answers to these issues were not always obvious to Aboriginal people involved in the ventures surveyed nor was it necessarily apparent to some of the non-Aboriginal participants. The purpose of Aboriginal tourism ventures is problematic in public policy and in bureaucratic practice. While multiculturalism is providing new direction in museums through public education and in acquisition and display policies, the popular definition of the multiculturalism in cultural tourism lacks consensus. However, Aboriginal people are consistent in their rejection of descriptions of themselves as 'ethnic communities'. This working paper is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/cmsworkpapers/13 Working Papers on Multiculturalism ■ TH MULTIC DEPARTMEN HE CENTRE FOR M ulticultural s t u d ie s Paper No.15 Australian Aborigines & Cultural Tourism: Case Studies of Aboriginal Involvement in the Tourist Industry FINLAYSON Working Papers on Multiculturalism No. 15 Australian Aborigines and Cultural Tourism: Case Studies of Aboriginal Involvement in the Tourist Industry Julie Finlayson Published for The Office of Multicultural Affairs, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, The Centre for Multicultural Studies, University of Wollongong, Australia © 1991 Office of Multicultural Affairs Published by The Centre for Multicultural Studies, University of Wollongong P.O. Box 1144 Wollongong, 2500 Australia Ph. (042) 213 780 Fax. (042) 286313 for The Office of Multicultural Affairs, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Canberra, 2600 Australia Co-ordination: Bill Cope, Adriana Hassapis and Colleen Mitchell (CMS); Elizabeth James and David Waddell (OMA) Penny Crittle (Centre fof Workplace Communication at the University of Technology, Sydney). Additional copies of this report are available from the CMS, University of Wollongong,. Price: $20.00 each, including postage and packing. Mail, fax or phone order to the above address. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commonwealth Government, the Office of Multicultural Affairs or the Centre for Multicultural Studies, University of Wollongong. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data: Finlayson, Julie Dianne. Australian Aborigines and cultural tourism Bibliography. ISBN 0 642 16349 9. [1]. Aborigines, Australia - Business enterprises. 2. Tourist trade - Australia. I. Australia. Office of Multicultural Affairs. II. University of Wollongong. Centre for Multicultural Studies. III. Title. (Series : Working papers on multiculturalism; no. 15). 338.6422 SERIES ISSN 1035-8129 Text printing and binding by the University of Wollongong Printery (042) 21 3999 Covers printed by Meglamedia (02) 519 1044 CONTENTS Su m m a ry o f th e REPORT.....page 4 The Commercial Versus Cultural Dilemma M arketing Product Development Funding Rationalisation Mainstream Industry Coordination Consultation Private Funding Versus Public Funding in Aboriginal Tourism Enterprise Development Models Skills Specialisation Cultural Promotion The Commercial Artefact Market Employment Training Programs Terms of Reference List of Tables: Cairns Survey Maps Abbreviations Acknowledgement Organisations and Individuals Contacted During Field Research 1. INTRODUCTION...page 30 Summary of Chapters Literature Review: Aboriginal Involvement in Tourism 2. THE ECONOMIC & ATTITUDINAL SUCCESS OF ABORIGINAL TOURISM VENTURES...page 38 Issues in the Economic and Attitudinal Success of Aboriginal Tourism Ventures The Case Studies Lake Condah: Victoria Brambuck Living Culture Centre: Victoria Warrama Living History Centre Pty. Ltd: Cairns Tjapukai Dance Theatre: Kuranda Deeral Village: Babinda Kuku-Yalanji Rainforest walk: Mossman Gorge Jabiru Cabaret Restaurant: Cairns 3. THE PORTRAYAL OF ABORIGINAL CULTURE IN THE PROMOTION OF AUSTRALIAN TOURISM.....page 69 General Issues in the Portrayal of Australian Culture Specifc Issues in the Portrayal of Aboriginal Culture in Tourism Keeping Places Living Cultural Centres Static Sites as Evidence of Aboriginal Culture (e.g. Rock Art/Archaeological Remains) Land Management Culture as a Portable, Marketable 'Experience' or Object 4. A ttitu d in a l su r v ey o f international to u r ists' EXPECTATIONS OF CULTURAL TOURISM page 79 Tourism Surveys The Cairns Survey Discussion of Tables from Cairns Tourism Survey Table 1: Correlation Between Visitor's Age and Interest in Aboriginal Culture Table 2: Correlation Between Visitor's Place of Permanent Residence and Their Level of Interest in Aboriginal Tourism Table 3: Correlation Between Visitor's Place of Permanent Residence and Purchase of Aboriginal Souvenirs Table 4: Correlations Between Visitor Age and Response to Visits to Aboriginal Cultural Enterprises Table 5: Correlation Between Place of Visitor's Permanent Residence and Response to Aboriginal Tourism 5. ATTITUDINAL RESPONSE OF ABORIGINAL GROUPS REGARDING CULTURAL TOURISM...page 93 6. ABORIGINAL EMPLOYMENT TRAINING PROGRAMS IN CULTURAL TOURISM...page 99 Brambuk Cultural Centre Lake Condah Cairns: Case Studies Tjapukai Dance Theatre Jabiru Cabaret Theatre Kuku-Yalanji Rainforest Walk Warrama Living Culture Centre 7. Ca se stu d y fin d in g s a n d p o lic y RECOMMENDATIONS...page 112 DEET: Department of Education, Employment and Training TAP: Training for Aborigines Programs AEDP: Aboriginal Employment Development Policy Main Issues: Enterprise Development Training: Tourism Hospitality A ppen d ix.. page 122 Appendix 1: The Australia Council Questionnaire, June 1990 REFERENCES...page 123 S u m m a r y o f t h e R e p o r t The principal focus of this report has been with issues of direct concern to Aboriginal people and communities involved with cultural tourism. Report recommendations stress the need for greater consideration of Aboriginal cultural perspectives in the development and implementation of government policies. A central question to emerge from the study is whether cultural tourism is merely a novel angle within current developments in tourism and enjoying a good deal of attention and enthusiasm from tourist organisations and operators, or whether it is primarily a context for commercial enterprise development by Aboriginal people? A related matter is the question of what purpose Aboriginal ventures in cultural tourism are designed to serve and in whose interests they are developed? Answers to these issues were not always obvious to Aboriginal people involved in the ventures surveyed nor was it necessarily apparent to some of the non-Aboriginal participants. The purpose of Aboriginal tourism ventures is problematic in public policy and in bureaucratic practice. While multiculturalism is providing new direction in museums through public education and in acquisition and display policies, the popular definition of the multiculturalism in cultural tourism lacks consensus. However, Aboriginal people are consistent in their rejection of descriptions of themselves as 'ethnic communities'. The Commercial Versus Cultural Dilemma Aboriginal tourism suffers from a dilemma identified by Altman (1986b) of government funding agencies adopting different perspectives of the purpose of Aboriginal art and craft enterprises and the use of different criteria for evaluating success. Altman's report characterised the problem as a failure in the policies of the funding bodies to 'accommodate the blend of commerce and culture' (ibid. 1989b:109). Cultural tourism suffers from a similar bind: DEET policies support programs orientated to economic outcomes, such as employment within the tourism industry, while Aboriginal participants and other Commonwealth bureaucracies see cultural tourism as opportunities with largely cultural objectives. Marketing Product marketing is neglected in Aboriginal training programs; and in evaluations of the commercial potential of cultural enterprises. Few Cultural Centres or other government sponsored Aboriginal tourist ventures