Aspiring and established tourism business owners complete micro-credential course

Through Esparq's deep work in Far North Queensland and Zenadth Kes, we partner with a growing group of aspiring and established tourism operators. This region is one of Australia’s most untouched, and the businesses we work with are eager for more visitors to experience their beautiful lands and the stories held within them.

Esparq identified a valuable learning opportunity for our clients to undertake the Tour Guides Australia micro-credential ‘Tour Guiding Fundamentals’. We brought together 14 emerging and established Indigenous tourism operators from across Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait) and Far North Queensland.

For participants travelling from remote islands and communities across the Torres Strait, travel costs are often the biggest obstacle to accessing professional development. Esparq enabled access by covering travel costs to bring the group together in Cairns so they could learn side by side, build confidence, and gain a nationally recognised micro-credential.

Across the three-day course, participants completed two days of theory before undertaking a hands-on assessment, each presenting as if leading their own tour. The engagement was deep and genuine. Many arrived feeling unsure but left with new skills, new networks, and a new sense of what was possible for their businesses in tourism.

To ignite inspiration, we also arranged for the group to visit Mandingalbay Authentic Indigenous Tours, an Aboriginal-owned tourism experience in Cairns, before the course began. Seeing best-practice storytelling in action set the tone for the week and helped participants imagine their own tour experiences with fresh clarity.

The collective energy was undeniable. People were learning together, cheering each other on, and forming connections that will continue long after the training. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with strong appetite for more opportunities like this across Far North Queensland.