The Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council (ELALC) has achieved national recognition for its Aboriginal cultural tourism experiences, taking Bronze in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism Experiences category at the 2025 Australian Tourism Awards, held in Fremantle last Friday evening.

After winning Gold at the NSW Tourism Awards in December, ELALC went on to represent NSW on the national stage, competing against some of the most established Aboriginal cultural tourism operators in the country.

Securing third place nationally is an extraordinary achievement for the organisation and the Far South Coast community, particularly as a relatively new entrant in the tourism space.

At the national level, ELALC found itself alongside some of the sector’s most experienced operators from Western Australia and the Northern Territory, many of whom have been delivering internationally recognised cultural tourism experiences for decades. To be recognised among businesses of this calibre was both humbling and inspiring for the team.

Thanks to the support of the Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council Board and NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC), ELALC’s tourism team were able to travel to Western Australia to attend the awards and take part in several cultural and industry experiences during the week.

In the lead-up to the awards, the team participated in the Talking Tourism Forum held on Wadjemup (Rottnest Island), where they joined tourism operators from around Australia for workshops and discussions with Traditional Owners. The forum included learning about the island’s complex history, traditional practices and the importance of truth telling, as well as valuable tourism networking opportunities.

The group also took part in a cultural experience at Kaarta Koomba (Kings Park) in Perth, hosted by Whadjuk Noongar man Steven Jacobs from In Culture Tours, who shared stories of his people, local plant knowledge and powerful personal reflections about culture and Country.

For the ELALC tourism crew, the four-day experience was both professionally inspiring and personally meaningful.

The award reflects the collective effort behind the development of cultural tourism experiences at Jigamy and along the Bundian Way, one of Australia’s oldest Aboriginal pathways connecting the coast to the mountains.

ELALC acknowledged the many individuals and organisations who have contributed to the journey, including the tour guides (Alkira Aldridge, Kye Lygon, Nicole Barber-White, Nikeysha Landsborough and Terry Hayes) who continue to step outside their comfort zones learning new skills and sharing culture with visitors every day, the managers who work behind the scenes to support the growth of the tourism program including Tourism Manager Clair Mudaliar, CEO Dean Muscat, Bundian Way Project Manager Miriam Wolstencroft, the ELALC ranger and construction crews, contractors Creative Lines, Wolfpeak, and BlakOut, and stakeholders National Parks and Wildlife Service and Bega Valley Shire Council who played key roles in constructing the trail infrastructure.

The ELALC also thanks Sapphire Coast Destination Marketing, Destination Southern NSW, Destination NSW and Tourism Australia for their ongoing support and guidance, including the NSW Tourism Association and Australian Tourism Industry Council for providing the awards platform without which they wouldn’t be able to receive this recognition.

ELALC also paid tribute to the Elders and cultural knowledge holders whose guidance underpins the authenticity of the experiences shared with visitors. The organisation acknowledged the leadership of Chairperson Uncle BJ Cruse and the ELALC Board, as well as the original Bundian Way Advisory Committee, including John Blay and Les Kosez, whose vision helped bring the project to life. The success of the Bundian Way and the wider cultural tourism program has also been made possible through the long-standing support of the NSW Government, particularly the Department of Regional NSW (now Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development), which has provided critical funding and support for the development of the trail and associated tourism initiatives.

ELALC says the national recognition reinforces the Far South Coast’s growing reputation as a destination for authentic Aboriginal cultural tourism experiences.