Bamaga Enterprises Ltd (BEL) has secured $100,000 in Federal Government funding from the Indigenous Tourism Fund, which it will use to provide new tours from its accommodation business, Cape York Peninsula Lodge (Queensland).

The grant will assist with the purchase of a purpose-built 4×4 coach with a capacity of up to 18 passengers and operate cultural discovery tours to showcase the natural wonders and Indigenous culture of the remote Cape York Peninsula region.

According to BEL Chairperson, Robert Poipoi, the new tourism product will fill the gap for tour groups and business travellers to the region.

“It will enable these types of travellers to extend their stay at Cape York Peninsula Lodge, and will also be suitable for the family adventure market arriving by road or ferry,” Mr Poipoi said.

Tourism & Transport Forum’s research on Cultural & Heritage Tourism in Australia (April 2016) found domestic travellers staying overnight at a destination spent 56% more and stayed 37% longer when they incorporated cultural activities into their visit.

“BEL is a community-owned Indigenous organisation and our goal is to support the community. These tours will benefit the wider Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) in terms of visitor spend and job creation,” said Mr Poipoi.

Cape York Peninsula Lodge will operate two return day trips hosted by a locally employed Indigenous Bamaga driver-guide. Guests will have options to travel through rugged Cape York Peninsula country, witnessing indigenous cave paintings and ruins at historical Somerset and WWII wreckage, before finally reaching the northernmost Tip of Australia. Or they can cross the Jardine River and visit Twin Falls then swim at Fruit Bat Falls, where nature has purpose-built a spectacular bathing pool.

Optional extras will include wine, poolside canapés at the Lodge, and a cultural performance from the award-winning traditional Torres Strait Island dance troupes, Naygayiw Gigi and Guba Markai Cultural Group.

The tours will also incorporate the story of the migration of the Torres Strait Islanders from Saibai Island to Bamaga, and information about the Aboriginal culture groups of the region.

“It’s the untold story of the NPA that can be respectfully shared with visitors,” Mr Poipoi said, adding that the new tour was scheduled to launch around Easter 2022.

The first round of the Fund includes five organisations from Far North Queensland. Federal MP for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch, said the grants were designed to help Indigenous-owned tourism businesses and community organisations increase the number of Indigenous tourism products available and support the start-up, stabilisation or growth of operators in the sector.

“We are extremely proud of the rich history and Indigenous cultures we have in the region and want to showcase this to as many people as we can,” Mr Entsch said.

Mr Poipoi thanked Mr Entsch for his support in securing the funding for BEL, with the organisation receiving the equal-largest grant amount across Australia.

“On behalf of Bamaga Enterprises Ltd, I’d also like to thank NPA Regional Council, Regional Development Australia Tropical North, NPA Family and Community Services, and SeaSwift for their letters of support for our successful grant application,” Mr Poipoi said.