The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation has entered into an agreement with Journey Beyond for the sale of the operational assets of its subsidiary, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia Pty Ltd, operator of Ayers Rock Resort at Yulara in Central Australia and Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre in Far North Queensland.
This is to be completed by the sale of the shares in Voyages, currently held by the ILSC, and is the first in a series of transactions that will, once completed, formalise the transfer of land and buildings at both sites for the benefit of the respective Traditional Owners; Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara of Yulara and the Kuku Yalanji of Mossman Gorge.
The new partnerships between the Traditional Owners and Journey Beyond will bring significant ongoing economic benefits to Indigenous communities at Yulara and Mossman Gorge. Later, following the transfer of land to the Community corporations, both communities will be paid rent from Journey Beyond’s leasing of the sites under 90- and 10-year leases respectively.
“Today’s agreement is the culmination of years of work and engagement with Community to find a new operational owner for Voyages to facilitate the divestment of land to Community and ensure a bright future for Voyages, and the local Indigenous communities of Yulara and Mossman Gorge,” ILSC CEO Joe Morrison, said. “Journey Beyond is a leading Australian tourism operator and logical owner of Voyages. From the outset, the ILSC’s focus has been on maximsing indigenous benefit. Through the agreement announced today and the ancillary transaction documents, we will see more than $500 million in benefit flowing to First Nations Community.
“We are pleased to move closer to fulfilling the ILSC’s statutory obligations of returning land to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and in doing so, create benefit for Traditional Owners at both Yulara and Mossman Gorge, as well as Indigenous people at local, regional, and national levels.”
Established in 2016, and headquartered in Adelaide on Kaurna Country, Journey Beyond is Australia’s leading experiential tourism group and owns and operates 20 brands across the country. Journey Beyond experiences across its portfolio include The Ghan and Indian Pacific, as well as cruises, touring, attractions and accommodation.
Journey Beyond employs more than 2000 people across 15 offices around Australia and works closely with over 25 First Nations groups including those within its Outback Spirit network, its Rail Expeditions, Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef and Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures.
“Journey Beyond is thrilled to be working with ILSC, Anangu of Yulara, Kuku Yalanji of Mossman Gorge and the Voyages team.” Journey Beyond CEO Chris Tallent said. “This marks an exciting expansion and perfectly aligns with Journey Beyond’s central purpose of creating amazing iconic experiences, that are immersive, authentic and uniquely Australian.
“Journey Beyond has extensive and genuine experience of positively working with Indigenous communities across Australia, including in the Northern Territory’s Arnhem Land and Western Australia’s Kimberley Region. We are committed to supporting the ongoing development of the National Indigenous Training Academy (NITA) which provides training, development and employment pathways to grow the local Indigenous workforce not only in Central Australia but across all our brands.”
The sale process commenced in August 2024 following an extensive strategic review into the future ownership of Voyages which focused on maximising Indigenous benefit, securing ongoing opportunities for the local Indigenous communities and supporting the long-term success of two world class tourism destinations.
The sale agreement between the ILSC and Journey Beyond will only pass control of the operational assets of Voyages to Journey Beyond. Land and buildings at Yulara and Mossman Gorge will ultimately be transferred to the appropriate Community corporations representative of the relevant Traditional Owners. The ultimate transfer at Yulara will mark the largest single return of land to Traditional Owners in the ILSC’s history in terms of both value and area.
Community consultation
In reaching this milestone, the ILSC has undertaken a multi-year Community consultation and engagement program with Anangu in central Australia and the Kuku Yalanji people of Mossman Gorge. The return of the land and sale of Voyages to Journey Beyond is supported by Community representatives of both groups following careful consideration of the benefits, aspirations and wishes of Anangu and Kuku Yalanji.
On transaction completion and once divestment occurs at Yulara, further collective benefit, in addition to the rental income stream, will pass to Anangu including the value of land and buildings along with investment in housing and infrastructure on the freehold land parcels which Journey Beyond has agreed to pass to Anangu. Voyages’ responsibility to deliver respectful cultural tourism with tangible two-way benefits for Traditional Owners and visitors alike will be maintained, as well as its commitment to creating training, employment and tourism business opportunities for Indigenous Australians. There is also potential for additional future benefit for the relevant communities that may stem from collaborating on new and improved tourism offerings that create further opportunities, income, training and employment offerings.
Voyages will continue to be led by the existing management team, under Journey Beyond’s stewardship.
The transaction is expected to be finalised in early 2026 with the divestment of the Yulara land to Anangu also expected to be finalised in 2026. The Mossman Gorge land divestment will follow once the native title application that embraces the MGCC site is determined.
“We are excited for the next stage in Voyages journey, which will open up significant opportunities for the business, our guests, our communities and for our people,” Voyages CEO Matt Cameron-Smith said.
“We’re proud of what we’ve built, and we’re excited about what comes next. This partnership allows us to grow our footprint while staying true to our foundations – delivering world class cultural tourism experiences in partnership with the communities we work with.”
The YAC Board added: “The Anangu Traditional Owners of Yulara are very happy with the decision by ILSC to hand back the land that was originally excised from the National Park in 1976. This divestment has been a long time coming and whilst it won’t be finalised until the end of 2026, returning Yulara to Anangu control is an investment in our future that will bring benefits in employment, education and support for Anangu enterprises. We look forward to working closely with Journey Beyond in the development of world class Indigenous tourism experiences that will share our language, our culture and our rich landscapes with visitors from all over Australia and around the world.”
The ILSC was advised by Greenhill and Gilbert + Tobin.
