The Ayers Rock Resort in Uluru will change hands to a private equity-owned US tourism company as part of a deal that will see the resort’s land and buildings returned to its traditional owners.
The resort, owned by the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) and managed by the company’s subsidiary Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, is the only accommodation option for tourists visiting Uluru.
The ILSC has entered into an agreement with ‘experiential tourism’ company Journey Beyond, a company owned by New York-based Crestview Partners that already operates notable tourism operations across Australia, including the Ghan and Indian Pacific railways.
Journey Beyond will purchase Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia’s operating assets, including the Ayers Rock Resort and Mossman Gorge Cultural Center in far north Queensland.
Land and buildings at both sites will be transferred to traditional owners, the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara and the Kuku Yalanji respectively.
The ILSC was established in 1995, ten years after the landmark Mabo High Court decision recognizing Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal traditional title rights to land.
However, a government agreement required Aṉangu to lease the park to the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service for 99 years.
Land returned after years of work
The latest partnership agreement will see the communities pay rent from Journey Beyond’s leases for 90 and 10 years, respectively.
ILSC chief executive Joe Morrison said the deal was “the culmination of years of work” to transfer the land to Traditional Owners, with more than $500 million in benefits flowing to the First Nations community.
“We are pleased to have moved closer to fulfilling the ILSC’s legal obligations to return land to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” he said in a statement on Friday.
Chris Tallent, CEO of Journey Beyond, said the company has been working with Indigenous communities across Australia and the agreement aligns with its goal of creating “immersive, authentic and uniquely Australian” experiences.
The transaction is expected to close in early 2026, while the sale of the Yulara land to Aṉangu is also expected to close in 2026.
The Yulara Anangu Corporation board said traditional owners were pleased with the decision, describing the agreement as “an investment in our future that will deliver benefits in employment, education and support for Anangu businesses”.
“We look forward to working closely with Journey Beyond in developing world-class Indigenous tourism experiences that will share our language, our culture and our rich landscapes with visitors from across Australia and around the world,” the board said.
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