Celebrating 40 Years Of Connecting to Country

For four decades, Ayers Rock Resort has been welcoming guests from all over the world to Australia’s spiritual heart. Just 20 kilometers from Uluru – one of the world’s most iconic landmarks – the resort offers so much more than a place to stay. 

Immersive, genuine Indigenous experiences and activities provide guests with a deep connection to Country and Anangu - the Traditional Owners of these lands - that goes far beyond a holiday. Our ongoing commitment to sustainability, social responsibility, and community progress is at the core of all we do. 

To celebrate our 40th anniversary, let’s take a look back at the Resort’s history, our ongoing commitments, and the vision that will guide us into the future of providing countless more “Just WOW” experiences and meaningful moments.

Before today’s Ayers Rock Resort existed, the first visitors to the Red Centre stayed in a rustic basecamp at the base of Uluru. It was set up shortly after the first graded road between Alice Springs and Uluru was built in the 1950s. In 1958, tourism numbers were officially recorded for the first time, and that year 2,296 curious travellers journeyed up to 12 hours from Alice Springs to see the Red Centre for themselves. 

Visitor numbers continued to increase as infrastructural improvements were made, and by 1968, the number of annual visitors had grown tenfold. However, the facilities at the base of Uluru were haphazard and unregulated, driving both state and federal governments of the day to develop the concept to build Ayers Rock Resort during the 1970s. The original tourism site is now the Indigenous township of Mutitjulu. 

In 1983, Ayers Rock Campground was opened. The following year, the Four Seasons Hotel and a Sheraton hotel – now known as Desert Gardens Hotel and Sails in the Desert – welcomed their first guests. Soon afterward in ‘84, the Resort Town Square was operational and the primary school was completed, and the township of Yulara was officially proclaimed, making Ayers Rock Resort a self-contained community. In 1988, the Yulara Maisonettes (today, the Emu Walk Apartments) were opened, and the new coach campground followed in 1989. 

Growth of the resort continued throughout the 90s, adding the Red Centre Hotel (now Outback Hotel & Lodge) in 1990 and existing staff lodgings were converted to become the Lost Camel Hotel in the early 2000s. 

Rooms, suites, and campsites were not the only additions to Ayers Rock Resort. The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) purchased the resort and established Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia in 2011 to operate its tourism businesses. Part of Voyages’ commitment was to increase Indigenous employment at the resort, and Indigenous staff numbers increased from two in 2010 to 204 in 2013, including 60 trainees at the National Indigenous Training Academy. 

In 2014, Ayers Rock Resort received three Australian Tourism Awards. Since then, the Resort has added to its trophy case every year, a testament to the values-driven business model and the one-of-a-kind holiday experience guests just can’t find anywhere else in the world.

While the resort is celebrating its 40th year, Anangu have lived and worked in the Red Centre for at least 30,000 years. Uluru itself is over 500 million years old. Educating guests about Anangu culture, traditions, and heritage is at the heart of Ayers Rock Resort’s experience offerings. 

Today, there are countless ways for guests to learn about and celebrate Indigenous culture during a stay at Ayers Rock Resort: take a National Park Ranger guided walk around the base of Uluru, participate in a free activity such as the bush tucker experience, observe artists at work at GoCA (and purchase a piece of art to benefit them directly), or listen to bush yarns. 

Ayers Rock Resort is committed to empowering local communities through social and financial support. Through Ayers Rock Resort’s charitable organisation, the Anangu Communities Foundation (ACF), we work with community to identify projects that are important to them, ensuring locals are consulted about how funds raised are allocated. The ACF invites funding requests for projects that address inequalities and deliver positive outcomes in education, health, culture, and wellbeing through social and economic advancement. Completed projects include school holiday programs, an aged care centre, and the establishment of a virtual Tjukurpa library. In total, more than $3,000,000 has been invested via the Foundation so far. 

To help create career opportunities for Indigenous people and support the local economy, Voyages has established the National Indigenous Training Academy (NITA), providing market-leading training and employment programs for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This unique training, employment and residential program allows participants to earn a wage while learning about different facets of the tourism and hospitality industry. Many NITA trainees go on to develop long-lasting careers in hospitality after they’ve finished with the program – often growing and progressing through the Voyages organisation.

Operating a resort in this sensitive environment means that from day one, the local ecosystem has been carefully considered – and ongoing steps have been taken to preserve and protect the land now and for future generations. 

One of the most significant investments in greener infrastructure at the Resort is the Tjintu solar field. With so much unobstructed sunshine, the Outback is considered one of the world’s best landscapes for solar energy. In 2016, the installation of Tjintu Solar Field was completed, generating a significant portion of the Resort’s power needs using energy from the desert sun – the equivalent of powering 150 Australian households. 

Waste reduction and recycling is another big priority for the Resort. An ongoing program is in place to reduce unnecessary plastics and we’ve recently completed construction of a brand-new drive-through recycling centre that services both Ayers Rock Resort and the town of Mutitjulu, diverting 300 tonnes of waste from landfill each year. Food waste reduction measures are implemented throughout the property along with sourcing sustainable and Australian food products as much as possible. 

We are involved in two wildlife monitoring programs, one of which is our annual threatened species monitoring, started by Voyages in 2001 and is an award-winning endeavour that’s been instrumental in preserving species at risk of endangerment and extinction. During the latest annual threatened species monitoring (2022) we found more records of brush-tailed mulgara than in any other year of the 22-year trapping program due to good rainfall, cat control and fire management.

Ayers Rock Resort also supports Mulyamiji March, a national monitoring event focussed on Tjakura (Great Desert Skink). We supported Traditional Owners, Indigenous rangers, and Scientists to find burrows and collect scientific data as part of a new Indigenous-led National Recovery Plan for Tjakura. The initiative is supported by the Australian Government’s partnership with the Indigenous Desert Alliance and will track the population of the Tjakura across central Australia over 10 years. The first monitoring event was in March 2023, where we found 68 burrows across six sites at Ayers Rock Resort.

Throughout the resort and surrounding trails, guests will notice signage reminding them to stay on marked pathways and leave no trace. You won’t find trash bins around the National Park or the walking trails – you’re expected to carry out what you carry in. Staying on marked trails not only prevents guests from inadvertently wandering into sacred spots, but also protects native plants, wildlife, and ecosystems. The result? A stunning, untouched landscape where local flora and fauna can thrive. This respect for the land extends to construction, too – as the Resort has expanded, careful planning has ensured building has not disrupted plant or animal life and minimal stress is caused to the ecosystem. 

An ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability has earned Ayers Rock Resort the Advanced Ecotourism and Respecting Our Culture certification. Globally, the Resort is the first ECO Certified business of 2024. Advanced Ecotourism is awarded to Australian ecotourism providers that are leading the way in the field of environmental stewardship, while Respecting Our Culture recognises operators who are committed to protecting and respecting cultural authenticity and integrity.