Australian indigenous film removes cultural-tourist stereotype

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SYDNEY — Australia’s tourism board on Tuesday launched a new short film aiming to dispel the myth that Australia’s indigenous culture can only be found in hot, dry and remote areas.

Created in collaboration with renowned Australian filmmakers Brendan Fletcher and Warwick Thornton, the film features Australia’s indigenous culture in traditional settings, but also in lush rainforests, coastal tropics and Australian urban environments.

Tourism Australia Managing Director John O’Sullivan said the film which will be show to 50 million viewers in Australia’s main tourist markets of China and Germany among others within the next two weeks, to increase awareness, interest and participation in indigenous culture tourism across Australia.

“Currently, 14 percent of our international visitors participate in an Aboriginal cultural experience during their trip, helping to inject 6.4 billion Australian dollars (USD 4.753 billion annually into our visitor economy,” Sullivan said.