City of Darwin has awarded a contract to a local First Nations organisation to support the development of unique Larrakia tourism experiences for Darwin.

Lord Mayor Mr Kon Vatskalis said City of Darwin had awarded $100,000 in funding to Larrakia Development Corporation (LDC) under the Tourism Incubator Program, which aims to promote Darwin as a destination known for its Larrakia people, culture and landmarks.

“While there are a few Larrakia-led tourism experiences in Darwin, through research and consultation with key stakeholders, we know there is a place in the market for more,” Mr Vatskalis said.

“Tourists visiting Darwin want to participate in First Nations visitor experiences, and the traditional custodians of the greater Darwin region, the Larrakia people, are best placed to deliver this.”

Under the Tourism Incubator Program, Larrakia Development Corporation will be holding workshops with stakeholders to identify opportunities for tourism experiences across both high and low seasons. They will also be developing a toolkit and training for tourism operators to support industry development.

Larrakia Development Corporation Chief Executive Officer, Nigel Browne, said the LDC had worked for all Larrakia for over 20 years and supported developments that promote Larrakia people and culture.

“This project allows the LDC to collaborate with the Larrakia community and Darwin’s tourism industry to create pathways for Larrakia people to share their culture and stories through business enterprise.
  
“This project will complement the LDC’s development of the Larrakia Cultural Centre, which will be located at the Darwin Waterfront and will be a tourism centrepiece to promote and celebrate Larrakia history and culture” Mr Browne said.

To participate in the workshops, or for more information about Larrakia Development Corporation’s Tourism Incubator Program, please call (08) 8947 3455.