Aboriginal tourism helps drive record visitor numbers to Western Australia

Western Australia has quietly hit a tourism milestone, and Aboriginal operators are at the centre of it.

New data from Tourism Research Australia shows the state welcomed 1.024 million international visitors in the 12 months to October 2025 – the highest number on record and the first time WA has passed the one‑million mark. Industry analysis credits a boom in Aboriginal tourism as one of the key reasons the state recovered its visitor numbers earlier than the national forecast.

The Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Committee (WAITOC) says interest in Aboriginal cultural experiences from overseas travellers has surged. Visitors are booking on‑Country tours, art and cultural experiences, and extended stays in Aboriginal‑run accommodation rather than treating culture as a quick add‑on.

Tourism WA’s own research backs this up. Its Visitor Experience and Expectations survey found that in 2023–24 nearly nine in ten visitors were interested in Aboriginal experiences, and more than a third actually took part in one during their trip – more than double the participation rate recorded in 2019–20.

For Aboriginal operators, that shift is translating into jobs and income. WAITOC reports that record international demand is giving businesses the confidence to expand, employ more local guides and invest in new product – from night‑sky astronomy tours to multi‑day cultural camps.

Globally, Indigenous tourism is increasingly seen as a serious economic driver. A recent international analysis estimated Indigenous‑led tourism could inject around US$67 billion into the world economy, particularly benefiting remote regions where other industries are thin on the ground. Researchers also argue that when it is genuinely community‑controlled, Indigenous tourism supports language use, cultural transmission, and land care alongside financial returns.