Voyages Indigenous Tourism has launched a cultural program for conferences and incentives as management forges ahead with its goal to integrate Indigenous culture to its operations.
Following the launch of the new Uluru Meeting Place in November last year, Voyages has released an extensive range of Indigenous experiences tailored to the corporate market.
Cultural dance performances, spear and boomerang throwing lessons, didgeridoo playing and dot painting experiences are now on offer. Daily Mani Mani cultural performances will also kick off on April 1, the same date that Indigenous dancers will commence performances at the iconic Sounds of Silence dining experience.
Speaking with The Nibbler at AIME last week, general manager Koos Klein explained that the new experiences followed a spike in demand from PCOs and corporate clients.
It also formed part of Voyages’ plan to increase Indigenous engagement and work closer with the local Anangu community, he added.
“We are all about passing on Indigenous culture to others. We are constantly fielding requests from guests who want to be immersed with the culture and we want to make it accessible for them and weave Indigenous stories throughout their experiences.”
Voyages is also continuing to invest in its Indigenous staff training program, with the number of Indigenous employees now exceeding expectations.
Up from two Indigenous staff in 2011, the resort now has 170 Indigenous employees on its books, including 50 local Anangu people.
Klein said the local community was embracing the resort’s efforts towards integration, and remained confident the number of Indigenous employees would continue to grow in the future.
“The Indigenous people are becoming used to us being here and they recognise that we are creating jobs and opportunities for the community. We want to work together,” Klein concluded.
