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Anangu Tours is owned and operated by Anangu , the traditional Aboriginal owners of Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. They and their ancestors have lived as a part of this arid environment for many thousands of years. They have developed an intricate knowledge of the environment and with this understanding developed a sustainable lifestyle that is still practised today. Tjukurpa encompasses embraces and expresses all of this knowledge, it is the mechanism through which information is passed from generation to generation.
Our tours are designed according to this ancient Law, they actively promote Anangu cultural values and thus assist Anangu to sustain Tjukurpa & their culture. This has a profound effect on the self esteem of Anangu staff employed to present their culture to visitor. It makes them proud of their culture and more eager about learning and maintaining their ancient Law.
Anangu Tours is unique in that social, cultural, environment and commercial sustainability must be adhered to by Anangu Tours or the whole basis of our company would crumble. If our business is not a commercial success then it will have a major negative impact all on other aspects; however it will not be a commercial success unless we take particular care of our social, cultural and ecological environments.
Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park is one of a handful of locations that is listed as a Cultural Landscape under UNESCO World Heritage Legislation. This listing highlights the unique living culture that exists and must carefully managed to be sustained.
To ensure that tourism activities do not dilute this cultural base, Anangu Tours works with the tourism industry and encourages them to promote the cultural aspects of the Park to tourists, and many companies are rising to this challenge. Anangu Tours is at the forefront of these efforts, particularly in the promotion of Anangu cultural values to an increasingly interested market.
The entirety of Anangu Tours activities and touring products are based upon interpreting country and culture: all products interpret some aspect of the people, their customs and culture, and their interpretation of the landscape of Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. All activities are conducted with Anangu , for Anangu , with the approval of Anangu and on Anangu land.
Research from the Northern Territory Tourist Commission indicates that 68% of international visitors are interested in Aboriginal culture. This interest is growing every year. Visitors particularly want to meet and interact with Aboriginal people, and hear about their culture directly from them.
Anangu Tours gives visitors this opportunity to meet with and interact with Aboriginal people, and hear first-hand of the cultural significance of Uluru. They know they are getting authentic information that our guides have learned from their grandparents since childhood. Indeed Senior Anangu guides are very strict about who is allowed to guide on tours, and their cultural information delivery is checked by them to ensure it is accurate and appropriate for the ears of visitors.
The delighted letters we get from visitors from all over the world and Australia indicates to us that their visit to Uluru is hugely enriched by hearing about the cultural values of the Park directly from its traditional owners.
More importantly, the tourism industry has embraced our tours, and we are sold strongly by trade throughout the world. They are recognising that their markets are increasingly interested in learning more about the heritage and culture of Uluru, and are less interested in the “come, climb, conquer and go” mentality of previous times. |
