Cooee Traveller

What Cooee Traveller does

Cooee Traveller (legal entity Aboriginal Tourism Asset Management Pty Ltd) is a private, specialist Indigenous tourism management company founded in 2015 and operating as a subsidiary of Indigenous Business Australia (IBA), a Commonwealth statutory authority. The company provides end-to-end management services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism businesses and Traditional Owner groups across Australia, spanning financial management (accounts payable/receivable, payroll, budgeting, audit), sales and marketing (digital, travel trade, PR, brand, reservations), asset management (shareholder representation, CAPEX planning, investment strategy), HR and training (Indigenous employment strategies, mentoring), and product development (master planning, grant applications, business planning). At the centre of the operating model is an "Innovative Shared Services Platform" that consolidates these back-office functions across a portfolio of managed Indigenous tourism assets, enabling a small core team of 1-10 staff — including Owner & Executive Director Barry Weare, CFO Stephen Gleeson, and leads in project management and digital strategy — to oversee resorts, cultural parks, campgrounds, and tour operations across six states and territories.

The go-to-market is sales-led B2B, with direct engagement and joint-venture partnerships with Indigenous Traditional Owner corporations, tourism accommodation businesses, and government bodies. Revenue is generated through managed-services fees on managed assets (e.g., Bawaka Yolngu Experience, NRMA Cairns Holiday Park) and professional-services fees for consultancy mandates (e.g., Budj Bim Cultural Landscape tourism program, Cooinda Lodge Kakadu master planning, Yaegl Tourism Strategy). The company does not own tourism assets; it provides the professional management layer that enables Indigenous communities to capture economic returns from tourism on Country, with a stated vision of placing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at the heart of Australian tourism. Notable outcomes include a six-year management tenure at Wilpena Pound Resort (2015-2021), successful ownership transitions of Minjerribah Camping (1,200+ campsites) and Glen Helen Lodge to Indigenous corporations, and securing grant funding for asset upgrades. The brand "Cooee" derives from the Aboriginal Sydney Language word gawi.

Name

Cooee Traveller

Legal name

Aboriginal Tourism Asset Management Pty Ltd

Website

https://cooeetraveller.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cooee Traveller is a specialist Indigenous tourism management company that provides financial, marketing, HR, asset, and product development services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism businesses and Traditional Owner groups across Australia, operating as a subsidiary of Indigenous Business Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Tourism Management Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage & Indigenous-Led Visitor Services (Tribal Tours, Heritage Sites, Co-management) (THAAAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community-Based & Indigenous-Led Ecotourism (THAAAEAH), Domestic/In-Country Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAL)

Keywords

• Indigenous tourism management
• Tourism consultancy services
• Asset management services
• Cultural tourism operations
• Hospitality business management

Headquarters

HQ city

Gold Coast

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Management Services: Providing comprehensive management services to Indigenous tourism businesses including financial management, sales & marketing, asset management, HR & training, and product development. Generates sustainable returns for clients.
2. Consultancy Services: Business consultancy including master planning, strategic planning, business planning, organisational reviews, and grant applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cooee Traveller provides specialist management and consultancy services to Indigenous tourism businesses across Australia. The company manages a portfolio of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism assets — including resorts, cultural parks, camping grounds, and guided cultural experiences — and offers end-to-end business services spanning financial management, sales and marketing, asset management, HR and training, and product development and master planning.

Product overview

Cooee Traveller is a specialist Indigenous tourism management company providing a suite of management services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism businesses across Australia. The company operates a platform of integrated services including Business Management (HR, Sales & Marketing, Finance), Asset Management, Product Development & Master Planning, Financial Management, and HR & Training. These core service modules support a portfolio of managed Indigenous tourism assets across multiple Australian states and territories, including resorts (Wilpena Pound Resort, Glen Helen Lodge, Cooinda Lodge Kakadu), cultural parks (Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park), camping grounds (Minjerribah Camping, Head of Bight), and cultural tour experiences (Bawaka Yolngu Experience, Lirrwi Tourism, wukalina Walk, Budj Bim Cultural Landscape). The company also provides Indigenous Engagement services connecting with Traditional Owners to develop cultural products and increase Indigenous economic participation in tourism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Management Services Comprehensive management services for Indigenous tourism businesses covering HR & Training, Sales & Marketing, Communications & PR, and Finance functions. Targeted at Indigenous tourism businesses and Traditional Owner groups seeking full operational support.
• Asset Management Full or partial business management services including shareholder representation, asset management plans, monitoring and reporting, CAPEX planning, funding models, and investment/divestment strategies for Indigenous tourism assets.
• Sales & Marketing Services Marketing services including website development, digital marketing, travel trade marketing, media and public relations, brand strategies, integrated marketing programs, revenue forecasting, reservations, and tourism awards submissions for Indigenous tourism businesses.
• Financial Management Financial services including accounts payable & receivable, payroll management, procurement, EOM and financial reporting, fixed asset management, budgets and cash flow forecasting, audit management, and investment assessments for Indigenous tourism businesses.
• HR & Training Services Human resources services including workforce development, training plans, recruitment, Indigenous employment strategy implementation, organisational reviews, social return on investment targets, workplace culture improvements, and mentoring program rollout for Indigenous tourism businesses.
• Product Development & Master Planning
• Indigenous Engagement Services Service for connecting and engaging with Traditional Owners, providing improved and sustainable income to Indigenous owners, increasing Indigenous employment, and developing cultural experiences. Targeted at Indigenous communities and Traditional Owner groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully managed Wilpena Pound Resort 2015-2021 for Ikara Wilpena Enterprises Pty Ltd
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owner Aboriginal CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged by the corporation to develop a Commercial Tourism Program for the World Heritage listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in Victoria. Work included designing and launching the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape website, providing marketing & accounting services, and managing the business between general manager hirings.
• Ikara Wilpena Enterprises Pty LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWholly managed Wilpena Pound Resort for Ikara Wilpena Enterprises from 2015-2021. The resort is proudly owned and operated by the local Adnyamathanha people in South Australia's Ikara-Flinders Ranges.
• Bawaka Yolngu ExperiencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurrently manage Bawaka Yolngu Experience in East Arnhem Land, working alongside the Yolngu family to share rich Yolŋu culture and the unparalleled beauty of Arnhem Land with the world.
• Ngurratjuta/Pmara Ntjarra Aboriginal CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuccessfully transitioned Glen Helen Lodge to this corporation's ownership and management. The lodge is accommodation within the Tjoritja-West MacDonnell Ranges National Park.
• Groote Eylandt & Bickerton Island Enterprises Aboriginal Corporation (GEBIE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssisted in the set up of Groote Touring for GEBIE in East Arnhem Land, offering sports fishing and cultural day tours.
• NRMA Parks and ResortsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCurrently wholly manage the NRMA Cairns Holiday Park on behalf of NRMA, providing campsites and cultural activities.
• Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuccessfully transitioned Minjerribah Camping from Redland Shire Council to the corporation's ownership and management. Six campgrounds with over 1,200 campsites on North Stradbroke Island.
• Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreviously wholly managed Australia's premier Aboriginal Cultural Park in Cairns, featuring dance performances, boomerang & spear throwing, and cultural activities.
• Head of Bight Visitor CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided consultancy services for the Head of Bight Visitor Centre and White Wells Depot, offering whale watching vantage points on the Nullarbor.
• Wukalina WalkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided management services for the 3 day 4 night guided coastal walk in Tasmania's Bay of Fires region, offering immersion in wukalina and larapuna.
• Bigambul Native Title Aboriginal Corporation & Impact250minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged to undertake project analysis and develop a business case for a proposed tourism venture in Southern Queensland Country (Millmerran).
• Yaegl Traditional Owners Aboriginal CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged to develop a Yaegl Tourism Strategy for the Lower Clarence region in NSW.
• Jerrinja Local Aboriginal Land CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged for master planning work for Jerrinja Country in the Jervis Bay, Shoalhaven region of South Coast NSW.
• Cooinda Kakadu LodgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided Master Planning services for Cooinda Lodge Kakadu, accommodation near the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre in Kakadu National Park.
• Great Walks of AustraliaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner network - the Arkaba Walk by Great Walks of Australia departs from Wilpena Pound Resort and traverses the Ikara-Flinders Ranges.
• Marcus Lee DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAboriginal design firm in Melbourne that designed the Cooee Traveller brand logo.
• Tourism Commission and BodiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorImages compiled from South Australian Tourism Commission, Tourism Victoria, Tourism NT, Tourism and Events Queensland with their permission. Various photographer contributions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KLook: Global online travel activity and tour-booking platform. Comparable only at the broadest level as a distribution channel for Indigenous cultural experiences, but useful as a benchmark for how digital distribution could be layered onto the Cooee Traveller portfolio over time.
• Intrepid Travel: Large multi-day tour operator with a stated focus on sustainable and Indigenous-led experiences in Australia. Comparable as a tour operator serving culturally curious travellers, though at much greater scale and breadth than Cooee Traveller's managed Indigenous assets.
• G'Day Group (Discovery Parks): Largest Australian holiday-park network, including remote and Indigenous-region parks. Comparable as an accommodation management operator working across diverse geographies, though focused on scaled commercial parks rather than Indigenous-led cultural experiences.

Others

• Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators (peak body): Industry peak body supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism businesses nationally. Indirectly comparable as the industry-association layer above Cooee Traveller's customer base, shaping policy, marketing and standards for Indigenous tourism in Australia.
• NRMA Parks and Resorts: Major Australian holiday-park operator that contracts Cooee Traveller to manage NRMA Cairns Holiday Park. Functions as both a partner and a broad incumbent in accommodation management; useful comparator for how large tourism accommodation operators outsource on-site management.

Direct peers

• Mossman Gorge Aboriginal Dreamtime Walks: Indigenous-owned cultural walking experience in Tropical North Queensland delivering guided Dreamtime tours within Daintree/Mossman Gorge. Comparable to the cultural-tourism products Cooee Traveller manages for Traditional Owner groups in similar Queensland geographies.
• Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia: Manages Ayers Rock Resort and a portfolio of Indigenous tourism experiences in central Australia. Closest comparable operator combining Indigenous-led tourism asset management with cultural experiences at scale, though materially larger and focused on a single geographic cluster.
• Nitmiluk Tours: Indigenous-owned tour operator at Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) in the Northern Territory, offering cruises, walks and cultural experiences under joint management with the Jawoyn Association. Mirrors Cooee Traveller's Northern Territory Indigenous-managed tour and accommodation model.
• wukalina Walk: A palawa-led multi-day guided walk in Tasmania's Bay of Fires. Cooee Traveller has provided management services for wukalina Walk, making it a direct comparable as an Indigenous-led multi-day cultural tour experience managed/operated in partnership with Traditional Owners.

Regional players

• Tasmanian Aboriginal Tourism Operators Council: Industry body representing Aboriginal tourism operators in Tasmania, including palawa-led experiences. Comparable as an Indigenous tourism coordination and development entity, though regionally focused on Tasmania where Cooee Traveller also has engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cooeetraveller
• Facebookfacebook.com/cooeetraveller
• Instagraminstagram.com/cooeetraveller

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cooee Traveller