Uluru’s Ayers Rock Resort to be sold to US company
The hotel, which welcomes tourists visiting one of Australia’s most iconic landmarks, will change hands to a privately-owned US tourism company in a deal that will benefit indigenous communities.
Owned by the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation and operated by the company’s subsidiary Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, Ayers Rock Resort is the only accommodation option for tourists visiting Uluru.
The agreement with “experiential tourism” company Journey Beyond will return the land to Traditional Owners.
The firm is owned by New York-based Crestview Partners and currently operates major tourism assets across Australia, including the Ghan and Indo-Pacific railways.
Journey Beyond will acquire the operational assets of ILSC subsidiary Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, including Ayers Rock Resort and the Mossman Gorge Cultural Center in northern Queensland.
The land and buildings at both locations will be transferred to the Traditional Owners, Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara and Kuku Yalanji.
The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation was established in 1995, ten years after the historic Mabo Supreme Court decision granting traditional land rights to Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people.
But a government agreement required the Anangu to lease the park to the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service for 99 years.
The latest partnership agreement will see communities pay rent from Journey Beyond’s 90- and 10-year leases of the sites respectively.
ILSC chief executive Joe Morrison said the agreement was “the culmination of years of work” to transfer the land to Traditional Owners and would deliver more than $500 million in benefits to the First Nations community.
“We are pleased that the ILSC is moving closer to fulfilling its legal obligations regarding the return of land to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” he said in a statement on Friday.
Journey Beyond CEO Chris Tallent said the company was working with Indigenous communities in Australia and the deal was aligned with its aim to create “immersive, authentic and uniquely Australian” experiences.
The transaction is expected to be completed in early 2026 and the transfer of Yulara land to Anangu is expected to be completed in 2026.
Yulara Anangu Corporation’s board said Traditional Owners were pleased with the decision and described the agreement as “an investment in our future that will benefit Anangu businesses in employment, training and support”.
“We look forward to working closely with Journey Beyond in the development of world-class Indigenous tourism experiences that will share our language, culture and rich landscapes with visitors from across Australia and around the world,” the board said.
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