AAT Kings has launched its new “Aboriginal Culture & Australia Highlights” tour for 2024-25. The limited-season Australia-first, Indigenous-focused guided tour includes must-see destinations from city to outback across Melbourne, Uluru, Sydney and Cairns over 13 days, with a focus on local connection, cultural immersion, sustainable footprints, wildlife and nature.
The “Aboriginal Culture & Australia Highlights” tour has been developed in response to Tourism Australia’s consumer insights, outlined in the global “Future of Demand” research project released late 2022. The report highlighted the latent demand for Indigenous experiences. However, at present, understanding of First Nations tourism is low. Demand increases sharply when audiences are exposed to Indigenous experiences and understand the unique insights they deliver.
The AAT Kings team has collaborated closely with Discover Aboriginal Experiences (part of Tourism Australia’s “Signature Experiences of Australia”) to identify and curate Indigenous operators and experiences that form part of the new season itinerary, showcasing an immersive blend of top locations, Australian highlights and Indigenous-owned businesses.
The Australian-first tour highlights 16 experiences including:
- Sunset drinks at Uluru, including an exclusive BBQ dinner and Dot Art Painting experience
- A behind-the-scenes Sydney Opera House tour, Dreamtime Walking Tour of The Rocks and Indigenous Harbour Cruise in Sydney
- Great Barrier Reef trip with Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel
- Lunch at Big Esso by Mabu Mabu in Melbourne’s Federation Square with cuisine by Torres Strait chef Nornie Bero
Both Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel and Big Esso by Mabu Mabu are two of four projects within this tour supported through AAT Kings Groups’ “Make Travel Matter” experiences and The TreadRight Foundation, alongside Maraki and Koorie Heritage Trust.
The itinerary also offers a number of optional tours to cater for international markets and appeal to a broad range of travelers including:
- The Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles or an Aboriginal Heritage Walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
- The BridgeClimb Sydney with an option to experience the Burrawa – Aboriginal Climb and a Royal Botanic Gardens Aboriginal Bush Tucker tour in Sydney
- A Daintree Dreaming Aboriginal Art and Culture tour or Mandingalbay Ancient Indigenous Cultural Cruise in Cairns
Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said: “Tourism experiences which share the stories of the world’s oldest living continuous culture through our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are of increasing interest to travelers.
The “Aboriginal Culture & Australia Highlights” tour will have limited departures in 2024 and 2025. Travelers can save up to 15 percent as part of the “AAT Kings New Season Sale” which runs until October 31, 2023. The tour will commence in Melbourne and conclude in Cairns.
For more information, visit www.aatkings.com/amsc.
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