Ayers Rock Resort is marking its 40th birthday in style with a range of activations for guests and travel partners, including a culturally immersive itinerary for Australian TV, lifestyle, sporting and fashion personalities like Celeste Barber, Beau Ryan and Indigenous actor, Miah Madden.
In addition, an epic sale commences 12 pm AEST today Thursday, October 24, offering up to 40% off Uluru accommodation for 40 hours.
The milestone 40th anniversary arrives during a bumper season for Uluru with Ayers Rock Resort experiencing demand in excess of pre-COVID levels and following a period of significant investment in the resort’s offerings.
Two all-new cultural storytelling experiences using cutting-edge technology to celebrate and share Indigenous culture set the industry benchmark for respecting and remunerating Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP), while a recent multimillion-dollar refurbishment for Outback Hotel & Lodge has enhanced all rooms and public spaces.
Wintjiri Wiru is a world-first cultural storytelling experience that was created in partnership with Anangu – Uluru's Traditional Owners – and debuted in May 2023. The daily show sees more 1100 drones, lights and lasers tell an ancient creation story on a scale never before seen, making this the world’s largest daily drone show.
Sunrise Journeys expanded on this commitment to responsible cultural tourism when it premiered in July this year. The early morning sensory experience transforms the desert landscape into a giant canvas the size of three football fields (200 m by 300 m), as a modern Anangu artwork is interpreted into a kaleidoscope of colour and sound.
CEO of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia Matt Cameron-Smith says Ayers Rock Resort plays an important role in providing both tourists with a meaningful holiday destination and Indigenous Australians with training and employment opportunities.
"Uluru is considered the spiritual heart of Australia. It’s a place where visitors from Australia and overseas come to connect with Country and culture. We’re so proud of the role we play in helping our guests immerse themselves in the richness of the world’s oldest surviving culture, while empowering Indigenous Australians through employment, training and economic benefit through tourism.
"Through initiatives like our National Indigenous Training Academy (NITA) and the Anangu Real Jobs program, we’re thrilled that one in three employees at Ayers Rock Resort identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, making us the largest single-site Indigenous employer in the Australian tourism sector.”
Ayers Rock Resort has recently been recognised for its leadership in responsible tourism, including winning the Responsible Tourism Award (Oceania) at the World Travel Awards this year. In addition, Wintjiri Wiru has been recognised as Oceania’s Leading Tourist Attraction by the World Travel Awards and as a global Industry Innovator by Skift. Ayers Rock Resort is both EcoTourism and Respecting our Culture certified.
Located 25 km from Uluru with unrivalled access to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Ayers Rock Resort boasts six different accommodation options to suit every budget, from Ayers Rock Campground to the luxe Sails in the Desert, as well as 14 dining options, an IGA supermarket, service station and even a Town Square.
Conceived in the 1970s in response to the ad hoc development of tourism facilities around the base of Uluru, construction of Ayers Rock Resort commenced in 1982. The resort was completed in 1984 with the official opening of Yulara Town Centre and the Sheraton Hotel (now Sails in the Desert).
Expressly designed to meet the needs of rapidly increasing tourism to Uluru while also respecting the unique environment and rich culture of the region, the resort opened at a pivotal time for Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Just one year later on October 26, 1985, the title deeds for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park were handed back to Anangu - the Traditional Owners.
The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) purchased Ayers Rock Resort at Yulara in 2010 to operate a tourism enterprise able to employ and train a large number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the tourism sector. Under the ILSC’s stewardship, the level of Indigenous engagement from a cultural, economic, employment and training perspective at Yulara and its associated operations has been a focus of the activities.
For more information, visit your local travel agent, www.ayersrockresort.com.au or phone 1300 134 044.
