Tourists to be banned from climbing Australia’s most famous attraction
Climbing on Australia’s iconic Uluru landmark, previously known as Ayers Rock, is to be banned from October 2019.
The board of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park voted unanimously to end the practice because the giant red rock is a sacred site for Aboriginal Australians.
There are already signs at the foot of the rock asking people not to climb on it to respect the traditional law of the Anangu Aboriginal people, but these are often ignored.
"It is an extremely important place, not a playground or theme park like Disneyland," said board chairman and Anangu man Sammy Wilson.
He said the Anangu people had felt intimidation over the years to keep the climb open because it was a top tourist attraction, but they wanted to close it because of its cultural significance.
The climbing ban will start on October 26, 2019, the 34th anniversary of the day that the UNESCO World Heritage site was handed back to the Anangu people.
Tourism Central Australia said it supported the decision, pointing out that the public could still access much of the site.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025