Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/923664

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Title
Between a rock and a hard place: backpackers at Uluru
Author/Creator
Young, Tamara
Institution
The Unviersity of Newcastle. Faculty of Business & Law, School of Economics, Politics and Tourism
Description
For years climbing the rock was considered a highlight of a trip to the Centre. It's important to note, however, that climbing Uluru goes against Aboriginal spiritual beliefs, and the Anangu would prefer if you didn't ... Although the number of visitors to Uluru has risen steadily over the years, the number actually climbing the rock is declining, while sales of the ideologically sound 'I didn't Climb Ayers' Rock' T-shirts are on the rise. (Lonely Planet: Up Front, Outback, Down Under). Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock) in Central Australia is one of Australia's best-known icons and internationally renowned tourist attractions. Situated within the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, Uluru is promoted as a 'must-see' site to both national and international tourists, with the park attracting around half a million visitors each year. As highlighted in the above quotation from the travel guidebook Lonely Planet, the key source of conflict relating to tourism at Uluru is the popular tourist activity of climbing the Rock. Partaking in the 1.6 kilometre climb to the summit goes against the wishes of the Anangu, the local Indigenous people, who are the traditional owners of the land. This chapter focuses on the experiences of backpackers at Uluru, examining their attitudes, dilemmas and actions in deciding whether or not they should undertake the climb. The discussion is contextualised within debates over the 'new tourism' thesis, and argues that backpacker travellers now increasingly demonstrate cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity when visiting such sites.
Relation
Down the Road: Exploring Backpacker and Independent Travel p. 33-53
Relation
http://www.api-network.com/main/index.php?apply=reviews&webpage=api_reviews&flexedit=&flex_password=&menu_label=&menuID=homely&menubox=&Review=5407
Date
2005
Publisher
API Network
Keyword(s)
Uluru, N.T.;  Anangu;  tourist activities;  traditional owners
Resource Type
book chapter
Identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/923664
Identifier
ISBN:1920845143
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"Between a rock and a hard place: backpackers at Uluru"
 
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