US firm in talks to buy Ayers Rock Resort operator
By ERWIN CHLANDA
Selling the operator of the Ayers Rock Resort to an American company is subject to “exclusive discussions” but “no final binding agreement” has been made and in any case “the land is to be divested to the First Nations communities”.
The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) is the proposed seller, to the Journey Beyond Group which also runs the Ghan and was acquired by the American Hornblower Group in 2022.
The ILSC is an Australian federal government statutory authority and corporate Commonwealth entity, established in 1995 “to help Indigenous people acquire, manage, and develop land, water, and related rights for economic, environmental, social, and cultural benefits".
A spokesman says: “The ILSC is now progressing with exclusive discussions with Journey Beyond for the sale of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia Pty Ltd, operator of Ayers Rock Resort and the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre in Far North Queensland.
“Journey Beyond has grown to now be Australia's leading and largest experiential tourism group and we believe they are the ideal potential partner, that presents us with the best opportunity to deliver on our primary objective."
The spokesman says ILSC's obligations are returning land to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and in doing so, creating benefit for traditional owners at both Yulara and Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre, as well as Indigenous people at a local, regional, and national level.
“These discussions are ongoing and at this stage there is no final binding agreement.
“Given the confidential nature of these discussions, we will not be commenting further,” says the spokesman.
The CEO of the Central Land Council (CLC) declined to be interviewed about this significant development on its patch.
The CLC is the major shareholder of a private company understood to have real estate and other assets worth millions of dollars.