Trailblazers on Country: the rise of Indigenous women in tourism
Women have always carried story, culture and knowledge in Indigenous communities. Yet in tourism, their voices have often been the most overlooked. Today, that’s changing. Across Australia, a growing number of Aboriginal women are stepping forward not just as cultural guides, but as founders, CEOs, thought leaders and mentors. Their rise is not incidental. It’s reshaping the values of the tourism industry itself, replacing performance with presence, extraction with reciprocity, and spectacle with substance.
The importance of Indigenous women in tourism isn’t just about representation. It’s about authority – the right to speak for Country from a different perspective, to protect it and to share it with integrity. Women bring intergenerational wisdom, often grounded in matrilineal knowledge systems. When they lead, they bring others with them: daughters, nieces, communities. Their success is structured to include, not compete. And in an industry hungry for truth-telling and transformation, their leadership offers exactly that – with grace, strength and cultural clarity.
Owner and guide Elisha Kissick of Yura Tours on North Stradbroke Island / Minjerribah, Queensland © Tourism Australia
On North Stradbroke Island / Minjerribah, Elisha Kissick of Yura Tours is not just building a business, she’s building a legacy. Her tours don’t just cover sacred sites and bush knowledge; they speak to the future. “I want my girls to know that their voices matter,” she says. “This work is how we keep story alive.” Her daughters are already learning the ropes, standing beside her, watching what it means to lead from Country. In this way, tourism becomes inheritance — passed from one generation to the next.
Further north in the Kimberley, Rosanna Angus of Oolin Sunday Island Cultural Tours is carving new pathways across saltwater Country. A recipient of Tour Guide of the Year in 2023 and an active board member for several regional and youth-focused initiatives, Rosanna blends deep cultural knowledge with a fierce commitment to mentoring the next generation – with a focus on Indigenous females. What makes her leadership striking is not just her story, but the way she holds space for others to share theirs.
Guide Rosanna Angus of Oolin Sunday Island Cultural Tours, Western Australia © Tourism Australia
On Bundjalung Country, Delta Kay of Explore Byron Bay has taken this ethos into one of Australia’s busiest tourist hubs. Her walking tours connect land with wellness, story with self and tourism with truth. Having won multiple awards for her experiences, she now uses her platform to support other emerging Aboriginal guides, with a focus on women’s cultural knowledge – the kind that often goes unheard.
Each of these women leads in ways that challenge the conventional power dynamics of the tourism industry. Their approach is collaborative, careful and conscious. They aren’t just growing businesses; they’re growing ecosystems of care, where knowledge flows laterally, not hierarchically. And that model matters. In a time where cultural experiences are increasingly commodified, these women root their work in responsibility. They know that tourism, done well, can build bridges. Done poorly, it can exploit.
So when Indigenous women step up, they aren’t just guiding tourists –they’re guiding an entire sector toward something more inclusive, more thoughtful, and more just. Their leadership doesn’t shout. It shows. Through presence, through policy, through place. And in doing so, they offer a blueprint for what future tourism and future leadership could and should look like.
Note: The NRMA is in partnership with Tourism Australia’s Discover Aboriginal Experiences. We are committed to promoting First Nations culture and experiences.
