Course background and objectives
This course forms part of an ongoing program of work implementing a Memorandum of Understanding between Indonesia and Australia on Trilateral Development in the Pacific. It aims to strengthen linkages and relationships between tourism sectors in Australia, Indonesia and the Pacific. It will provide opportunities to share expertise, experiences and best practice in sustainable tourism, and explore future collaboration opportunities.
The course will focus on sustainable tourism in relation to the environment and cultural heritage, and the importance of responsible consumption in the tourism sector. It will explore investments needed to make tourism more sustainable and ways to balance development priorities with environmental challenges. It will also allow participants to better understand the role tourism plays in economic growth and providing work opportunities. The course follows the success of the nine sustainable tourism management short courses delivered in 2016-2024.
The course will be attended by participants representing Indonesia, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. These countries share geographical similarities as archipelagic nations with large interests in sustainable blue and green economies and the tourism sector. The focus of this course has been identified through consultations with representatives from the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Consulates-General in Indonesia, the Australian High Commission in Fiji, the Australian High Commission in the Solomon Islands as well as government and private sector stakeholders in the tourism sector.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia received around 16 million and Fiji 894,000 foreign visitors per year. In 2023 visitor numbers were 11.7 million and 930,000 respectively. In 2023 tourism accounted for approximately 4% of GDP in Indonesia and 40% in Fiji. Visitors to the Solomon Islands also experienced a post-COVID surge, reaching almost 14,000 by late 2024 and a 28.2% increase compared to late 2023.
Indonesia, Fiji and the Solomon Islands are known for their stunning landscapes providing great tourism potential, and tourism destinations in these countries could benefit from a stronger focus on the sector’s impact on the environment and local communities. The contribution of tourism to local communities and the environment depends on the capability of the local communities, government, NGOs as well as the tourism industry to develop comprehensive tourism strategies.
A key question for sustainable tourism is: how can it deliver sustainable benefits for local communities? If managed responsibly, local tourism spurs cultural interaction, bolsters employment and empowers local communities, especially women and youth. Sustainable business practices not only increase economic benefits for local communities, but also protect natural resources, strengthen intellectual property rights and foster more equitable partnerships. Sustainable practices also support attraction of high-quality domestic and foreign investment in local tourism industries. Showcasing local culture also has tourism potential for both domestic and foreign tourists, and involving local communities and drawing on the diversity of local knowledge is important in building sustainable tourism.
The objective of this course is to improve the enabling environment of the sustainable tourism sector, develop linkages between tourism stakeholders, foster opportunities for future collaboration, and enhance business planning processes, thus contributing to economic growth while mitigating harm to the environment and local communities.
The course includes a 2-week course in Australia and two one-day online workshops. The course is offered to 25 participants and it is targeted to national and sub-national governments, tourist attractions, heritage sites and geoparks, tourism operators/companies, tourism polytechnics, tourism associations and other relevant organisations.
Participant profile:
- Heads of tourist attractions, heritage sites and geoparks; owners and managers of tourism operators/companies; heads of tourism polytechnics; central, provincial and local government representatives; and representatives of tourism associations
- Minimum high school level qualification or higher proficiency with a minimum of 3-5 years of relevant experience
- Minimum functional/structural position for participants from central government ministries
- Specialists/managers/directors from non-government sectors
- Participation is endorsed by the supervisor
- Commitment to prepare and implement an Award Project, an individual or small group development project as part of the course
- Pass all eligibility checks
- Participants may be selected from the following target provinces:
- NTB (particularly Mandalika)
- NTT (particularly Labuan Bajo)
- Sulawesi provinces (particularly Likupang, Wakatobi, Togean Islands, Tana
- Toraja, and Gorontalo)
- Maluku Utara (particularly Morotai)
- Maluku (with a focus on heritage tourism, noting the ANZAC links)
- North Sumatra (Lake Toba)
- Papua
- Papua Barat (particularly Teluk Cendrawasih National Park)
- Papua Barat Daya (particularly Raja Ampat)
- Kalimantan provinces (East, West and South)
To be eligible, all participants must:
not have Australian permanent residence status or be applying for a permanent residency;
be a citizen of and residing in Indonesia, Fiji or the Solomon Islands;
not be current serving military personnel;
not be married or engaged to, or be a de facto of a person who holds, or is eligible to hold, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency;
have been working in Indonesia, Fiji, or the Solomon Islands in an area relevant to the short course preceding the date of the proposed commencement of the short course;
be able to satisfy all requirements of the Department of Home Affairs for a visa;
be able to participate in the nominated short course activities at the time and for the duration proposed by Australia Awards;
be able to travel without family members as DFAT will only provide visa support and funding for individual participants, not their family members.
Gender equity will be a consideration and encouraged but not a constraint, given that participants are selected by position and position responsibilities. Australia Awards in Indonesia will convene an independent selection panel to review applications and select participants based on merit against the above participant profile.
Applicants shall submit their application forms directly through online application on 21 July 2025 at 11:59pm local time at the latest.
The selection panel will convene to select up to 25 participants. The successful participants will be informed of the outcome in August 2025
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