TOURISM: Discover Aboriginal Experiences Spotlights National Reconciliation Week

Discover Aboriginal Experiences – Image: Tourism Australia

Australia is celebrating Aboriginal Experiences with a National Reconciliation Week from 27 May to 3 June 2025. Held each year, National Reconciliation Week encourages Australians – and visitors – to learn about the nation’s shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how everybody can contribute to achieving reconciliation, particularly regarding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

Nowhere in the world can claim a cultural legacy quite like Aboriginal Australia. For at least 65,000 years, its peoples – with hundreds of distinct clans, and as many languages and dialects – have walked the continent, making Aboriginal cultures the oldest continuous living cultures on the planet. Today, this legacy manifests itself in exquisite Aboriginal art, exclusive accommodation, ancient pilgrimages, modern culinary journeys and travel experiences.

“What better way to support reconciliation than by booking an Indigenous tour, many of which offer thought-provoking insights into this year’s theme: ‘Bridging Now to Next,’ reflecting the ongoing connection between past, present and future”, says Tourism Australia in its latest release.

Mabu Buru-Tours – Image: Tourism Australia

“By joining an adventure with Mabu Buru Tours in Broome in Western Australia, for example, you’ll support an opportunity for your Aboriginal guides to share and practice their storied cultures. Added to this, a percentage of profits from each tour is donated to the not-for-profit Mabu Buru Foundation, which supports the preservation of Aboriginal lore and culture across the west Kimberley region”.

Other options for visitors are to discover why the permanent installation of the Aboriginal flag atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge was an important step in the reconciliation process on the Burrawa Aboriginal Climb Experience, an ascent of the iconic bridge led by an Indigenous storyteller guide. Or learn how sharing Wiradjuri language with guests on his tours in the Wagga Wagga region of country New South Wales helps Wiradjuri man Mark Saddler from Bundyi Cultural Tours keep the unique language of his ancestors alive. Or dive into the Great Barrier Reef with Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel to gain an insight into traditional ecological reef management and the role of ancestral Aboriginal wisdom in protecting Australia’s spectacular ecosystems for all.

“Building cultural strength through knowledge sharing is fundamental to all 53 members in the Discover Aboriginal Experiences portfolio,” says Nicole Mitchell, Executive Officer Discover Aboriginal Experiences. “This year alone there are more than 200 experiences on offer across our members, and each offers insights into the world’s oldest living culture as it has evolved over the last 65,000 years.”

“As we see interest in Indigenous tourism burgeon around Australia and the world, we are delighted to launch a Cultural Insights section on the DAE website, packed with educational and inspirational features that take you on a journey through various Indigenous traditions, as well as the events that have shaped Aboriginal Australia over the years. Among these features is a deep dive into the meaning of ‘reconciliation’, and how it is important to strengthen culture among Australian communities.” (NAN/TA 29-04-25)

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