For visitors to New Zealand, the chance to witness a haka, the Maori ceremonial dance, has long been part of the country’s appeal, along with its glaciers, geysers and glowworm caves.
But increasingly, instead of just taking in a cultural spectacle en route to New Zealand’s Fiordland, travelers are lingering longer and going further, seeking more immersive ways to engage with the indigenous heritage of the country.
“We’re seeing a shift from a ‘tick box’ mentality to a hunger for deep, transformative experiences,” says Sarah Handley, managing director for North America and Europe at marketing agency Tourism New Zealand. tourism of the country. “It’s not just about witnessing a haka, but understanding the meaning and the stories behind it. »
This development is happening not only in New Zealand, but around the world, especially as more and more travelers want to experience the natural wonders of the planet through the people and traditions that inhabit them.
PHOTO NGADAS COMMUNITY HOMESTAY, THE NEW YORK TIMES
In Indonesia, the tour operator G Adventures offers stays in the village of Ngadas, inhabited by the Tengger tribe.
“Simply put, travelers want more out of their vacation,” says Jamie Sweeting, vice president of sustainability for tour operator G Adventures, whose itineraries include overnight stays from an indigenous-owned ecolodge to Ecuadorian Amazon at a homestay in the Indonesian Tengger tribe. Sweeting says people are looking for experiences that help them change the way they see the world, especially since the pandemic. Indigenous-led tourism experiences – a sector of the global tourism market valued at US$40 billion in 2022 and expected to reach US$65 billion by 2032 – are increasingly the answer.
Travel slowly, the Maori way
In New Zealand’s North Island, visitors eager for culturally immersive nature experiences are spoiled for choice.
In the Bay of Plenty region, which has a long tradition of Maori-guided nature tourism, the Maori-owned Te Urewera Treks offers one-day and multi-day guided treks in the rainforest of Te Urewera, the first in the world to be granted corporate status (meaning the forest is now its own property) in recognition of the traditional Māori worldview. (Guided day hikes start at 240 New Zealand dollars, or about US$151; a three-day hike costs US$1,050, with nights spent camping or in the New Zealand’s famous backcountry huts. -Zealand.)
About an hour’s drive north, Kohutapu Lodge (rooms for two from US$100) offers a similar option to some of the Māori cultural experiences offered in neighboring Rotorua, including Māori ‘dinner and show’ evenings. allowed it to earn its nickname “RotoVegas”. In contrast, Kohutapu encourages visitors to travel slowly, the Māori way, with an extensive program of cultural, natural and culinary activities showcasing the region’s indigenous history and contemporary Māori life.
“We invite our visitors into our community, our home, our way of life – and it feels very natural,” said Nadine Toe Toe, co-owner of Kohutapu Lodge. Travelers are “looking for more authentic and intimate experiences, outside of major centers, that are based on real life.”
In Australia, big companies join the movement
PHOTO PHLIP VIDS AND DREAMTIME DIVE & SNORKEL, THE NEW YORK TIMES
A native guide from Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel explains the making and use of a woomeraor javelin thrower.
Across the Tasman Sea, Australia is also seeing an increase in demand for indigenous-led tours. Mark Olsen, chief executive of Tourism Tropical North Queensland (the predominantly indigenous region that includes the Great Barrier Reef), has seen an increase in the number of domestic travelers taking part in indigenous experiences and the average number of nights spent doing so. Tourism Australia, the Australian government’s tourism marketing agency, has recorded a similar trend among international visitors over the past decade.
Collaboration between tourism and Australia’s indigenous people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, has not always been so promising. In 2017, Australia made international headlines by banning the climbing of Uluru, the iconic monolith in Australia’s red center and one of the country’s most visited tourist attractions. The ban only came after decades of requests from the local Aboriginal community not to climb the site, which is sacred to them.
PHOTO PHLIP VIDS AND DREAMTIME DIVE & SNORKEL, THE NEW YORK TIMES
Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel employs indigenous guides who share their culture and stories during the journey to the Great Barrier Reef.
Today, in addition to the growing number of indigenous-owned and operated tourism businesses in Australia, Mr Olsen notes that even large tourism companies are making an effort to “involve traditional owners in their tours”. Companies such as Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel, “which employs indigenous guides who share their culture and stories during the journey to the Great Barrier Reef” (day trips start at 219 Australian dollars, or about $150 US), are a response to the received idea that indigenous tourism is not an activity in its own right.
A global trend
These developments in the travel industry reflect a broader societal trend. “Globally, recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples has gained ground and there are increasing attempts to right the wrongs of the past,” explains Julia Albrecht, associate professor in the tourism department at the University of ‘Otago, New Zealand.
These projects, coupled with the creation of indigenous networks such as the Global Indigenous Tourism Alliance and significantly increased visibility through traditional marketing and social media, have created “a case where supply and demand complement each other” , explains Anna Carr, associate professor and colleague of Mme Albrecht at the University of Otago.
Like G Adventures, tour operator Intrepid Travel is expanding its Indigenous tourism portfolio by offering Indigenous experiences in the United States, Australia, Taiwan, Canada, Nicaragua and Costa Rica this year. Sara King, general manager of purpose at Intrepid, said “particularly emotional” reactions from customers have been a constant.
PHOTO DOLF VERMEULEN AND KLAHOOSE WILDERNESS RESORT, THE NEW YORK TIMES
Klahoose Wilderness Resort, owned by the Klahoose First Nation in Canada’s remote Desolation Sound, offers experiences like native-guided grizzly bear watching during the annual salmon run.
Erin Rowan, 32, of Boulder, Colorado, chose British Columbia’s Klahoose Wilderness Resort, owned by the Klahoose First Nation, for her September honeymoon. Located in Canada’s remote Desolation Sound, this resort offers “all-inclusive cultural and wildlife tours,” including native-guided grizzly bear viewing during the annual salmon run (stays of three or four all-inclusive nights from $2,495 CAN, plus taxes and resort fees).
Mme Rowan and her husband, Matt Allegretto, wanted a trip that was “intentional and consistent with [leurs] values”. After coming across the Klahoose Wilderness Resort “on TikTok, among other things”, Mme Rowan says “the light bulb went on.”
“We felt welcomed into a world completely different from our daily lives,” explains M.me Rowan, adding that she and her husband hope to make indigenous-led experiments “a major focus of [leurs] future trips.
The original version of this article appeared in the New York Times.