Travel Weekly: Ayers Rocks grabs two big wins at World Travel Awards
9 September 2024 - Travel Weekly
Ayers Rock Resort, currently up for sale, has scored two major wins at the World Travel Awards 2024, at a gala ceremony in Manila overnight.
Wintjiri Wiṟu, the resort’s world-class cultural storytelling experience, beat Bondi Beach and Sydney Opera House to be named Oceania’s Leading Tourist Attraction, while Ayers Rock Resort itself was honoured with Oceania’s Responsible Tourism Award.
Established in 1993, The World Travel Awards celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries and are voted on by industry professionals and the public.
Wintjiri Wiṟu also secured the title of leading Industry Innovator in the Activities and Attractions category at the New York-based Skift IDEA Awards 2024. These awards celebrate purpose-driven work that redefines the future of travel, and Wintjiri Wiṟu’s groundbreaking approach to Indigenous collaboration and respecting Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property helped clinch the win.
Tali Wiṟu is a finalist for Oceania’s Best Fine Dining Hotel, and Ayers Rock Resort is nominated in the World’s Best Culinary Awards.
The Wintjiri Wiṟu show features 1,100 drones, lasers and projections to tell the ancestral Indigenous Mala story, and was developed in close collaboration with Aṉangu, the Traditional Owners of Uluṟu, led by the Wintjiri Wiṟu Working Group comprising senior Aṉangu from Mutitjulu and Kaltukatjara (Docker River).
“We are incredibly honoured to be recognised on the world stage with these awards,” Matt Cameron-Smith, CEO of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, operator of Ayers Rock Resort, said. “Coming out on top in such a competitive field, while a humbling achievement, further reinforces Ayers Rock Resort’s position as a leader in cultural and sustainable tourism.
“The Wintjiri Wiṟu Working Group played a vital role in bringing this experience to life, and these awards are a testament to their vision, and to the strength of Anangu culture.”
Source: Travel Weekly