Managing Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park: Key Issues and Challenges in Responsible Hospitality and Tourism

Running head: RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
1 Answer to question 1:
1.1 Discussion of the key issues & challenges in managing the Uluru–Kata Tjuta National
Park
1.1.1 Operations:
The Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park is leased to director under the Land Rights Act as
it is Aboriginal owned (Environment.gov.au, 2019).
As per Section 358(2) under EPBC Act, the director is permitted to accept a license or a
sublease which is related to land, provided it relates to management plan (Environment.gov.au,
2019). The lease, also needs from the director a written agreement of Uluru–Kata Tjuta
Aboriginal Land Trust, before accepting any licence or sublease.
As per the lease, the Aboriginals along with the traditional owners, can reside inside the
park at Mutitjulu or any location which is in the management plan, in accordance to:
 Decisions of board, including health, privacy or safety.
 Proper constraints of management plan which reasons in security, privacy, safety or
anything related to the protection of the park.
The Lease states that the Director of National Parks covenants not to transfer, assign,
sublet, part with the possession of, or otherwise dispose of the park or any part thereof without
the consent in writing of the Aboriginal Land Trust and then only in accordance with the
management plan (Environment.gov.au, 2019).
The lease also states that, Aboriginal Land Trust also receives the legal right for
requesting the director for subletting any required or reasonable portion of park, to any relevant

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RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
Aboriginal Organization. While the plan is being prepared, the required or relevant Aboriginal
organization is the Mutitjulu Community Aboriginal Corporation (MCAC) incorporated under
the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Environment.gov.au, 2019).
Sublease, license or other occupancies requires establishing &maintenance, as per the
proper standards, which includes minimum impacts of park values.
To help acquire Nguraritja interest, formalization of occupation & land utilization is
required as much possible.
1.1.2 Resource
The Anangu people look after the resources of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in
collaboration with Parks Australia. The management has the responsibility to ensure that the
resources, especially the natural resources of the National Park are preserved and protected. With
the increase in the number of visitors in the park each year, maintaining the resources has
become a challenge for both the traditional owners and the Parks Australia management.
With the help of the ecological knowledge possessed by the Anangu people, the Parks
Australia officials manage the vast water resources present in the park. The water resources are
used economically by protecting the soaks and the rock holes and cleaning them. The Tjukurpa
law of the Anangu is mostly followed when it comes to caring for the land’s resources in the
park (Environment.gov.au, 2019). The Australian government has realized the importance and
advantages of the social organization of the Anangu and hence, has developed the strategy not to
interfere into the traditional laws.

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RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
Issues are faced while making the visitors understand the way to use the park’s resources
as per Anangu tradition and history. One such example when the visitors exploited the park
resource could be given of the climbing of the Uluru (Abc.net.au, 2019). The visitors in great
numbers come to the park and climb the Uluru, which is forbidden by the traditional law.
However, the Parks Australia authorities and the government have not prohibited the climb. This
has raised much debate over the years.
The important thing that the management at the National Park must consider is that Uluru
is a sacred place for the Anangu and if climbing it is disrespectful for them, and then the visitors
must not be allowed to do so (Theconversation.com, 2019). The management has taken steps in
this regard, as the climbing has been banned for visitors starting 2019.
Apart from these resources, the management of commercial operations and suppliers also
raise concerns in terms of managing resources. Owing to the massive commercial operations that
take place in the park, substantial effort is devoted in the education of people involved in
commercial activities. This puts strain on the management concerning the safeguard and proper
utilization of the resources of the park.
1.1.3 Brand Image
The National Park is enlisted in the World Heritage Site and hence, it is evident that the
park has become a brand in itself. Uluru is amongst the three most recognizable symbols in
Australia alongside Opera House and the Great Barrier Reef. The shared decision-making of the
Anangu and Parks Australia concerning the maintenance of the brand image involves adherence
to the traditional Tjukurpa law. The authorities have realized the importance of promoting the
park as an intrinsic part of indigenous culture and tradition because it has managed to attract