A new initiative aims to empower First Nations women in the tourism industry. The First Nations Women In Tourism Australia association was established to support Indigenous women in tourism, leadership, and business, particularly in regional and remote areas. The idea for the association came from Barngarla woman Emmalene Richards, who recognized a lack of support for Indigenous women in these fields. She partnered with Wirangu woman Daina Walker, who has a background in tourism management, to create the not-for-profit organization. Richards emphasized the mission of the association, stating, "It's been about elevating, empowering and celebrating First Nations women in tourism." Walker added, "We've got people not just in the tourism industry but other industries, education and training, and that's what we wanted, to get people together so we could create this network of information and collaborate with people in the industry and even outside the industry." Cultural tourism is on the rise in Australia, with a record 3 million overnight trips involving First Nations activities reported for 2023/24. The Australian Trade and Investment Commission's Tourism Research Australia survey indicated that the most popular activity among domestic travelers was visiting Aboriginal sites or communities, with 881,000 overnight trips. International visitors preferred experiencing Aboriginal art or cultural displays, totaling 813,000 overnight trips. Iteka Urkala Sanderson Bromley, a tour guide and member of the Adnyamathanha, Narungga, and Yarluyandi communities, has been sharing her culture through her family's business, Bookabee Australia, since she was 16. She described her role as an empowering responsibility, saying, "They [my ancestors] would have been doing the same as me — they're taking the young people and they're saying 'look at this, look at that' and I'm doing it now and it's such a privilege." Adnyamathanha woman Rehanna Coulthard also leads tours that combine cultural storytelling with visits to significant art sites in the Flinders Ranges. She highlights the importance of truth-telling about the impacts of the Stolen Generations. "You've got this beauty and land and you've got the beauty of sitting in a creek and listening to the embers of the fire and the birds, but you've also got this sadness and this deep pain of what has happened," Coulthard said. Richards has shared her family's experiences related to the Stolen Generations in her tourism work, focusing on the connection between First Nations language and land. Sanderson Bromley has also worked with young people in schools, helping them reconnect with their culture. She noted, "I can see how some people don't have that connection but they're really, really seeking it and really desperately trying to find something to grasp onto." The inaugural meeting of First Nations Women In Tourism Australia took place in Port Lincoln in September, attended by about 20 women in tourism and education. The association aims to create a supportive network for Indigenous women, fostering collaboration and sharing knowledge about cultural practices, seasons, and bush medicines used by previous generations. Port Lincoln Wirangu artist Susie Betts has also contributed to the initiative by sharing her people's Yugarila or Seven Sisters songline, which connects with other First Nations cultures worldwide. Betts, who won a Churchill Scholarship in 2018, researched similar creation stories in the United States and Peru, developing Cosmic Cultural Star Immersion Talks as part of her findings. The establishment of First Nations Women In Tourism Australia marks a significant step toward empowering Indigenous women and promoting cultural tourism in Australia.