The growth of Aboriginal tourism in remote Australia: Indigenist method for an operator perspective

This research supports the self-determined growth of marginalised remote Australian Aboriginal tourism and the people and communities that underpin it. The complex contexts from which Aboriginal tourism has grown has resulted in it being marginalised, suffering low domestic demand and receiving nominal academic attention. Aboriginal tourism operators have been particularly neglected in research. However, the disappearance of traditional international markets due to COVID-19 has brought into focus the need to better understand how to support the industry and build domestic demand. We adopt a ‘critical turn’ approach to researching remote Aboriginal tourism in order to deliver new growth perspectives centred on operator narratives. Our Aboriginal-led research adopts an Indigenist research method to examine nine operators’ experiences against marketing brand growth literature that is being applied for the first time in this context. The findings provide an understanding of diverse marketing issues. They privilege the operator voice and thus support their visibility, space and opportunity. We recommend continuing to centre operator perspectives in building and empowering the industry for future growth.