Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia has appointed Grant Hunt as its new CEO, a return to the role he held for a decade until departing in 2006.
In his first run, Hunt oversaw the establishment and significant expansion of the group’s hotel and resort portfolio, growing it to 23 properties across many of Australia’s most cherished National Parks and culturally sensitive areas. Among these were Longitude 131 and The Lost Camel Hotel – two of Voyages’ most popular. He also helped to create the Mutitjulu Foundation and the travel industry’s first Corporate Social Responsibility report.
“My previous time at Voyages was both professionally and personally rewarding,” Hunt said.
“The company and Ayers Rock Resort is in my blood. To return to find the destination prospering with innovative installations such as the Field of Light and with 40% Indigenous employment is fantastic,” he said.
Since leaving Voyages 12 years ago, Hunt has worked in his own nature-based tourism ventures and has chaired a number of state tourism boards including Tourism NT and Tourism Tasmania. He is also a member of the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park Board of Management.
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia is the tourism arm of the Indigenous Land Corporation, which offers luxury hotel and cultural experiences in the Northern Territory, Western Australia’s Kimberley region and Tropical North Queensland. A key element of the organisation is its commitment to fostering indigenous employment and training to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.