Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, encompassing Ayers Rock Resort and Mossman Gorge, is preparing for a new chapter under Journey Beyond’s leadership amid historic land return moves.
The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) has entered into an agreement with Adelaide-based tourism group Journey Beyond for the sale of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia’s operational assets.
The sale includes Ayers Rock Resort at Yulara in Central Australia and the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre (MGCC) in Far North Queensland.
According to the agreement, Traditional Owners will ultimately take ownership of the land and lease the sites to Journey Beyond on 90-year (Yulara) and 10-year (Mossman Gorge) terms. Rental income and future development collaboration are expected to deliver significant ongoing benefits to the communities involved.
“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; Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara of Yulara and the Kuku Yalanji of Mossman Gorge,” the ILSC said.
What do the Traditional Owners say?
“The Aṉangu 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 Aṉangu control is an investment in our future that will bring benefits in employment, education and support for Aṉangu enterprises,” said the YAC Board.
“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 notes that the Yulara land return will be its largest ever in terms of value and area.
How will this new partnership benefit Indigenous communities?
The agreement is the result of a multi-year consultation program with Aṉangu and Kuku Yalanji people. It was designed to “maximise Indigenous benefit, secure ongoing opportunities for the local Indigenous communities and support the long-term success of two world class tourism destinations,” the ILSC stated.
“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,” said ILSC CEO Joe Morrison.
“Journey Beyond is a leading Australian tourism operator and logical owner of Voyages. From the outset, the ILSC’s focus has been on maximising 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.”
Why Journey Beyond and what’s next?
Journey Beyond, which already operates 20 travel brands, including The Ghan, Indian Pacific, Outback Spirit, Sal Salis, and the recently acquired Sailaway Port Douglas, will assume operational responsibility, while Voyages’ existing management team remains in place.
Attracting 300,000 visitors annually, Ayers Rock Resort offers 6 styles of accommodation, ranging from camp sites to 5-star luxury hotels, including 776 hotel rooms and 450 camp sites; 15 in-house and off-site dining options; as well as broader retail and guest services.
The resort is also the largest employer of First Nations peoples in the Australian tourism sector, providing large-scale training and employment opportunities for First Nations peoples, and is home to the National Indigenous Training Academy (NITA).
Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre in Far North Queensland welcomes over 300,000 visitors each year. It offers a unique mix of experiences, including cultural, historical, and environmental aspects, in the region of the oldest continually surviving rainforest on earth, with the oldest continuous culture on earth.
“Journey Beyond is thrilled to be working with ILSC, Aṉangu of Yulara, Kuku Yalanji of Mossman Gorge and the Voyages team,” said Chris Tallent, CEO of Journey Beyond.
“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.”
Matt Cameron-Smith, CEO of Voyages, added: “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. 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 transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026. The land divestment at Mossman Gorge will follow the finalisation of a native title determination.
For the avoidance of any doubt, Ayers Rock Resort is not Uluṟu, and the agreement does not include Uluṟu.
KARRYON UNPACKS: The handback of iconic tourism sites to Traditional Owners with operations led by a proven experiential operator reshapes how Australia delivers and grows Indigenous tourism at scale.
