Palm Island Tourism Masterplan

Palm Island is a tropical paradise, located in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef and is home to the largest remote Indigenous community in Australia. The Manbarra people and the indigenous Bwgcolman people, and their descendants were sent to the Palm Island missions from a number of communities across Queensland. Palm Island Aboriginal Council has released a Palm Island Tourism Master Plan (PITMP) which identifies visitor trends and product opportunities available to Palm Island. 

Indigenous Tourism

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism is an iconic part of the Queensland tourism offering, and is essential to attracting new and returning visitors to Queensland. Visitors are seeking authentic cultural experiences, in 2019 approximately 1.35 million international visitors to Australia took part in an Indigenous experience on their holiday- a figure which has grown by 5% each year. This presents a significant opportunity for the region to build products and experiences that are unique and world-class. These could include authentic cultural experiences, eco accommodation that is integrated into the natural and cultural settings, and facilities and experiences that enable visitors to immerse themselves in the region’s unique natural environments. Palm Island is unique, and its story is compelling. Creating experiences that engage visitors in understanding this, whilst enjoying the extraordinary land based and marine environment can offer a range of benefits for the community.