A global spotlight shone brightly on Australia's Indigenous stars when Sydney hosted the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, and much of the growth in Aboriginal cultural tourism has happened in the years since.

Many credit Elder from New South Wales' Dunghutti-Jerrinja Nation, Aunty Margret Campbell, with spearheading the movement.

In the 1960s, Ms Campbell participated in Aboriginal youth programs such as the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs and benefited from mentoring provided by Indigenous politicians and campaigners such as Charles Perkins, Esther Carroll and Elizabeth 'Trixie' Rowe. This inspired her to become NSW's first Aboriginal-owned tourism operator in the late 1990s, when she took tourists on a 'whale dreaming' cruise, decoding how Traditional Landowners lived in and around the harbour.

Since then, Ms Campbell has seen a huge shift in Indigenous cultural awareness over the last two decades.

Today, Ms Campbell's Dreamtime Southern X walking tours explore the foreshore around The Rocks, a place where the Gadigal had established campsites when the First Fleet came to shore in 1788.

"I don't want to dwell on the invasion, I just want to talk about my lived experience," Ms Campbell said.

"I'm positive and upbeat. Many visitors on my tours are embarrassed to ask questions at the start, as they think they should know about our country's history. I make them feel comfortable and tell them they can ask the silliest or most serious questions. There are no wrong questions; I'm not going to judge."

Across in Western Australia, Wola Gija woman Bec Sampi is the head guide at Kingfisher Tours, where she reveals stories of the Kimberley region in a way possible only for someone born, raised and educated with 65,000 years of intergenerational stories. As a child, Ms Sampi's playground was Purnululu National Park, where she gained a wealth of cultural and geographical knowledge from her Elders. She's an advocate for Aboriginal rights around Australia and is also the founder of Garingbaar Native Bush Botanicals, which makes beauty products infused with bush lavender and coconut oil, among other ingredients.

In Western Australia's capital city, Dale Tilbrook pioneered Indigenous tourism in the late nineties, drawing on her retail experience to seize the opportunities surrounding the Sydney 2000 Olympics Games. From selling authentic SOCOG-endorsed returning boomerangs, her business has evolved over three decades and she is now considered an authority on bush tucker.

Cross over to the Northern Territory to Sarah Dalby, a tour guide and art teacher through Maruku Arts, Australia's only Anangu-owned regional gallery and cultural centre. Ms Dalby captures the immensity of the landscapes and legends that surround Uluru, her place of work, and has been doing so since she was a child and learnt the skills from her Aunty. Join one of Ms Dalby's experiences and you'll hear the stories behind dot painting and discover the importance of sourcing Aboriginal art ethically and responsibly, just two things she is passionate about.

Also in the Northern Territory is proud Arrernte woman Nova Pomare, general manager of Standley Chasm - Angkerle Atwatye. For the past five years under Ms Pomare's management, Standley Chasm - Angkerle Atwatye's operations have flourished with annual tours increasing from 30 to almost 300, the team growing from 12 to 23 members and now six Aboriginal guides are employed. Further, the whole operation is powered with an off-the-grid generator that will be 100 per cent solar powered by the end of the year, sustainable use of natural spring water, recycled grey water and the use of biodegradable plates for large groups to negate water use from washing dishes.

Born and raised in Alice Springs, as a little girl, Ms Pomares said she was always at the Chasm with her grandmother and visiting her auntie and uncle who ran the business back in the seventies.

"Standley Chasm was one of my first jobs as a teenager, so growing up, I always knew how important the business was to my family," said Ms Pomare.

"Now, it's come full circle. Fulfilling a caretaker role like this for our Country is a dream come true."

"It's also an avenue for Aboriginal employment and we're proud to support our local mob," Ms Pomare said.

From the Top End down to the Apple Isle, Carleeta Thomas is the esteemed lead guide at wukalina Walk in Tasmania/lutruwita's northeast. She studied hairdressing before being headhunted to join the Aboriginal-owned company.

"I never thought of doing anything like this. Of talking about myself and my culture," Ms Thomas said. "But I like being able to connect with guests on every level. I'm sharing what I know and learning every time I take a tour."

Fresh out of high school, Ms Thomas, a pakana woman, became a guide on the experience, the first Aboriginal-owned tour in Tasmania.

"I was really lucky for the Elders to see something in me at such a young age," she said. "Being on Country is powerful. Learning about my culture and being able to share what I know is amazing."

Australia's rich cultural history is sought after by visitors and a wonderful way for locals to learn more about their backyard. Visit discoveraboriginaltourism.com.au or state tourism organisations to find out more.