Don’t Bury The Sydney-Bourke Aboriginal Highway Concept!
November 18th, 2007Marc ‘Aussie’ Stone has a lot of experience around the world in economic and tourism development in rural areas. A year ago PWF wrote about Marc’s Replicable Aboriginal ‘business success’ model, an Aboriginal Experiences Highway for outback NSW, which made very good sense and had the backing of local people.
Marc is passionate about culturally sensitive, truly sustainable development and he believes his concept of telling the whole story of the Aboriginal nation from ‘Invasion to Today’ could become a model for Aboriginal communities throughout Australia.
He tells PWF Tourism NSW has given its recent greatest Annual Marketing Award to another Aboriginal Highway from the middle of the NSW North Coast into Bourke, called the Kamilaroi Highway.
A Question
The award winning tourist route Marc says travels ‘from where there are no overseas tourists to where there are no overseas tourists’ – does this make sense?
Marketing Madness?
Marc is a businessman and plans promotion of his Sydney-Bourke Aboriginal Highway through a network of 800 senior travel Editors in FIJET (Fédération Internationale des Journalistes et Ecrivains du Tourisme). However, without the ‘whole story of the Aboriginal nation’ concept, he believes this new tourist route has no real global tourism news value and so cannot be promoted to this group OR an associated group of 600 global Conservation journalists.
Marc can see no real tourism or marketing sense here and says there are now many Highways within and between Queensland, NSW and Victoria but none are increasing the numbers out of Sydney for long term stays in the bush.
So What Is Marc Doing About It?
He is standing as the Federal Independent Candidate for North Sydney. He is
“determined to get the Aboriginal and Outback Experiences Super Highway unburied and back onto State and Federal Cabinet’s, and their Bureaucracy’s Radar.”
Good luck Marc- you certainly win the award for perseverence!
Related Posts
November 21st, 2007 at 3:25 pm
If you are looking for other Web links to FIJET try
http://www.oejc.or.at/english/fijet.htm
http://www.fijet-web.com/
This is a global grouping of Professional Travel Writers
November 21st, 2007 at 3:42 pm
The other group of journalists who would be interested to write freely about the Aboriginal and Outback Experiences Super Highway concept , include the 600 Senior Global Conservation Journalists, who attended with me , and wrote about, the UN’s WSSD, World Summit on Sustainable Development, in South Africa. I have all their personal email addresses.
When Officers of NSW DOSRD buried the Aboriginal Highway concept, what else can I do but continue to lobby State and Federal MP’s, Tourism NSW, and Tourism Australia ?
If anyone has any ideas how we can get the AOESH concept back onto the table at the NSW DOSRD I am open to all suggestions.
December 10th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Hi Marc & congrads for your work not only with your indigenious people but us in Fiji and other parts of the world that you”ve worked. I strongly support your effort on this issue since the need to highlight lifestyle & setups of indigenouds people to the global market as it is near to none. Everyone is talking about democracy, transparency & Good Governance and, yet are not transparent enough to highlight these beutifull lifestyle, or are we shoving aside (what we think are) our dirts and shames for people not see? I support your vision Marc on ” Dont Burry the Sydney-Burke Aborigenal Highway concept”
you might not have “overseas tourist to travel to where there are no overseas tourist” mainly because there are nothing in the advertisement that taklks about real lifestyles of the indigenious communities, The rest are the same old beuty and stuff yet nothing triggers& lures tourists in to your communities like adventuring the real lifestyles & traditions on the real people . I support you all the way!!!
January 6th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Having lived and worked in regional (outback NSW, and throughout Australia,PNG and South Pacific ) as a marketing practitioner, specilaising in promoting tourism development in these regions and on an international basis, I believe that Marc’s concept is EXACTLY what is needed as part of the overall marketing strategy plan to promote Australia. His concept of providing the international and national markets, with the most sort after Tourism Experience, ” CULTURAL,HISTORIC and PIONEERING EXPERIENCES”!!! Marc’s concept project by international market trends, would provide the much needed ‘NEW ADVENTURE’ market which has been sadly ‘over-looked’ by our federal and state government tourist authorities, who insist on ‘plugging’ the same’old’ popular destinations year after year, (ie Sydney, Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley,Byron Bay Port Macquarie etc – which potential visitors markets are tired of after some 20 years since Paul Hogan’s ‘Put Shrimp on the Barbie !’). Statistics show that the international markets are now looking more toward New Zealand,China and Pacific destinations, as they are promoting their CULTURAL attributes which lend to providing a more ‘adventurous experience’ rather than just scenic beauty. In essence, we are losing our most promonent tourist traffic ( Japan,Asia, European and USA) due to ‘staid old destinations’ that have been ‘flogged -to-death’ for over twenty years. Why is tourism growth to India and China experiencing a massive BOOM ? -because they are promoting their CULTURAL wonders rather than their respective ‘Bollywood industry’ and ‘New western Cities of China.’ Similarly, New Zealand has taken away much of the tourist traffic from our former regular markets like Japan, Korea and the like, because they are promoting their ‘regional and cultural experience’ attributes and not the scenic aspect, as before.
Tourism Australia and Tourism NSW, have been remiss in ignoring ‘change’ and ‘accurately assessing’ international trends, which clearly indicate that we are losing tourist traffic to our neighbours and other destinations that offer a ‘cultural , Historic and Pioneering Experience,’ ( the European markets have been looking for ‘soft adventure and cultural experiences,’ over just beauty and scenic experiences for many years – check Lufthansa’s most popular destinations stats). In conclusion, I can only say, that we need the entrepreneurial flair and the wealth of ‘hands-on’ experience in developing regional tourism ( such as marc’s Aboriginal Super Tourism Highway) to win back and expand our opportunity to maintain and increase tourism to NSW and Australia. The sooner the Tourism authorities acknowledge that Marc has put a wonderful opportunity for them to capitalise on, the better for Australian Tourism growth and very importantly, for the benefit of the regional economy and Australia’s cultural and historic exposure to the international markets.
February 21st, 2008 at 8:46 am
Interesting concept = cultural superhighway ……
I am interested in the ACCOMODATION ” cultural aspect ” …
could it be ?? a modern humpy, etc … It is not a silly question ? as some tourist locations have 5-star tents..
February 21st, 2008 at 9:25 am
It’s not a silly question at all – over to Marc??
February 21st, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Warren and Helen,
In reply to your question.
The “Aboriginal and Outback Experiences Super Highway” plans only to provide respectful access to such experiences that have already been developed and operated by our Aboriginal people. Since Aboriginal people do not, at least, to my knowledge, in NSW, offer or operate any accommodation facilities, there is no concept here for Cultural Accommodations to be provided.
This not to suggest that if an Aboriginal, family or Community, sought to add an eco or enviro accommodation facility to the experience they sought to offer a visitor along a highway that there aren’t a number of excellent proven examples they could consider, “they consider” being the key concept. One such excellent example that could work well can be seen at http://www.paperbarkcamp.com.au/gunyah.html
May I add that the two parties above who have written supportive thoughts about the AOESH , Sereana Saukalov was the Indigenous Fijian business woman that has worked both for the Fiji Ministry of Women and the Fiji Nadroga Navosa Provincial Council as an Indigenous Business Development Manager and Advisor, and Alex Lubanski was the Economic and Tourism Development Officer for the Walgett Shire Council during the original formative period of the AOESH.
and to Warren and Helen if you have any further questions please advise. If the AOESH further interests you please visit http://www.aussiestone.com/aboriginalknowle.html
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