Aboriginal tour guide Nunami can't keep up with demand amid gaps in market in Tasmania's wilderness areas

Nunami Sculthorpe-Green started leading tours telling the stories of her ancestors because she wanted those stories to be told.

Key points:

• The Tasmanian government wants to encourage more Aboriginal tourism experiences in the state's Wilderness World Heritage Area
• Demand for Aboriginal tourism is increasing in every state and territory, but it is a recognised gap in the Tasmanian market
• Nunami Sculthorpe-Green has seen first-hand how much demand there is for experiences that give people a greater understanding of Aboriginal history and culture

"I grew up in lutruwita/Tasmania in the 90s and early 2000s and I didn't see our people's stories represented anywhere," the palawa and Warlpiri woman said.

"I felt that the truth of our history wasn't being told and our people weren't being appreciated and recognised for all that we are and all that we bring with our culture and our stories."

Ms Sculthorpe-Green has been running her takara nipaluna (palawa kani for Walking Hobart) tour since early this year, and has recently added mumara patrula (Wood for the Fire), a guided walk along a coastal trail at Kettering that tells the stories of legendary Aboriginal figures from the region.

"I cannot keep up with the demand and it's really given me a more positive outlook on our state and the people that come [here]," she said.

"People do want to know our stories, they do want to walk with us and understand our history and culture from us ourselves."

Last week, her efforts were recognised when she won Young Achiever for 2022 at the Tasmanian Tourism Awards.

There are some other Aboriginal tourism offerings in Tasmania — including the state's first Aboriginal-owned and operated tourism venture, the Wukalina Walk — but it is a recognised gap in the state's tourism market.

One place where the state government would like to see more Aboriginal tourism offerings is in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA) — 1.5 million hectares taking in the Southwest, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers, Mount Field, Hartz Mountains and Mole Creek Karst national parks.

There is an Aboriginal cultural walk at Melaleuca in the south-west and, according to a 2015 Parks and Wildlife Service evaluation report, 92 per cent of those who visited it said the walk enhanced their understanding of Tasmania's Aboriginal heritage.