The Indigenous Tourism Champions Program

The Indigenous Tourism Champions Program (ITCP) is a collaborative national program instigated by Tourism Australia and Indigeous Business Australia with significant involvement and support from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and the State and Territory Tourism Organisations.

The program looks to build a reputation of reliability and consistent quality in service delivery. The ITCP is achieving this through selective marketing of product which has met stringent criteria, ensuring that the businesses being promoted are able to meet the needs and expectations of trade and the international market.

Members of the ITCP are exclusively eligible to participate in TA’s Aboriginal tourism marketing initiatives, which includes trade events, road shows, trade training initiatives, online marketing, print marketing and other marketing initiatives. Indigenous Tourism Operators must be nominated for inclusion in the program by their State Tourism Organisation (or other nominated State based representative); they then must apply and meet the criteria for membership.

To provide a pathway into the ITCP, support is also being provided to select Product Development Participants who are marketed primarily through State and Territory Tourism Organisations channels and will be supported by their State and Territory Tourism Organisations and in some cases a specialist mentor to assist with growing their businesses to a standard where they meet the criteria for entry into the ITCP.

The Champions offer a diversity of experiences which have immense appeal and leave a lasting impression.

The ITCP aims to demonstrate that small business operators and Indigenous tourism operators in particular, are reliable business partners with strong industry knowledge who can make a valuable contribution to wholesale and inbound programs.