Cultural Tourism

Cultural Tourism Development Pathway

Cultural tourism invites visitors to engage meaningfully with the stories, traditions, and creative expression of our communities.

Banner image: Lambing Flat Chinese Tribute Gardens, Young | Credit – Destination NSW

In Southern NSW, this includes a diverse and evolving landscape of experiences, from Indigenous-led tours and storytelling to heritage places, arts and events, and vibrant cultural institutions.

Whether you are a First Nations tourism operator, creative practitioner, community group, or cultural organisation, this pathway supports the development of visitor experiences that are grounded in place, culture, and connection.

This development pathway will guide you through key phases of building a cultural tourism experience, including:

Considering permissions, partnerships, and cultural integrity
Designing and developing your experience for target markets
Sharing stories and engaging visitors in a respectful way
Building visibility through marketing and distribution channels

If you’re starting out, we recommend working through our Start Here Pathway first to understand foundational elements of tourism businesses in NSW.

Opportunities for Tourism Operators

Cultural tourism presents unique opportunities to share culture, strengthen identity, and create meaningful experiences for visitors. This sector allows you to:

Connect visitors with local culture, stories and knowledge in ways that build understanding and respect
Share traditions, creativity, language, or heritage through authentic and engaging formats

These experiences contribute to local pride and help strengthen community identity. Notably, cultural tourism can also support economic empowerment for artists, makers, storytellers and communities, especially when led or co-designed by those with cultural authority.

Operators working in this space may also benefit from:

Access to tailored support, mentoring, and funding opportunities for cultural and Indigenous tourism
Marketing and visibility channels suited to niche and experience-driven markets

As visitor interest in immersive, educational, and culturally respectful travel continues to grow, there is increasing demand for tourism products that offer a connection with people and place. By stepping into this space, you can grow your presence in a high-value and evolving visitor segment.

Eden Killer Whale Musuem, Eden Credit Destination NSW

Image: Eden Killer Whale Museum, Eden | Credit Destination NSW

Image and pathway tile: Queanbeyan Public Art Walk | Credit – Destination NSW

Understand the Demand

There is growing interest from domestic and international travellers in:

First Nations cultural experiences that Traditional Owners lead
Authentic connection with local communities and stories
Creative and immersive workshops, performances, and food experiences
Opportunities to learn, reflect, and connect with Country

Understanding who your visitor is and what kind of experience they seek will help shape your concept from the start. It also informs seasonal planning, pricing, and business sustainability.

For information about developing, promoting, and selling a tourism product, please visit the Start Here Pathway.

This pathway explores various sectors of cultural tourism, providing guidance, inspiration and resources. Each phase contains information and links to sector-specific resources, where available. Phase six within this pathway contains resources relevant to all cultural tourism sectors.

This pathway includes content adapted from Destination NSW’s NSW First Program. We acknowledge and thank Destination NSW for providing these resources.

Pathway

Development Pathways

Start Here

Start pathway →

Accessibility & Inclusion

Start pathway →

Agritourism

Start pathway →