A new partnership tasked with investigating and establishing a permanent First Nations national tourism peak body has been announced by the federal government.

The First Nations Visitor Economy Partnership is designed to support greater participation and economic opportunities for First Nations people and businesses in the tourism industry, with Indigenous industry representatives from every state and territory.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said the Indigenous tourism industry provides the chance to share the world's oldest living culture with the world while simultaneously empowering First Nations people through employment and business outcomes.

She said the new partnership would "advocate" for the sector as well as support the growth of First Nations tourism businesses to continue to provide "unique experiences" for tourists, which in turn, drives economic prosperity in the regions and for local communities.

Initially funded for two years through the National Indigenous Australians Agency's (NIAA) Indigenous Advancement Strategy, the government says the partnership will provide leadership and guidance on respectfully embedding Australia's rich cultural heritage in the nation's tourism offerings.

First Nations industry representatives co-designed the Partnership in collaboration with the NIAA, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), Tourism Australia and state and territory governments.

"The First Nations Visitor Economy Partnership demonstrates the Albanese Government's commitment to working with First Nations people and in partnership with state and territory governments to advance self-determination and economic empowerment," Minister McCarthy said.

"The First Nations tourism sector has been calling for support to establish a national peak tourism body and the Albanese Government has listened."

Tourism Minister Don Farrell said First Nations tourism offers an important avenue for Indigenous people to stay on country and preserve culture and knowledge, whilst simultaneously providing economic opportunities.

"I recently had the privilege of attending the graduation of the National Indigenous Training Academy's class of 2024 on Aṉangu country who expressed to me the importance of this industry and their excitement of sharing their culture with visitors," Minister Farrell said.

"With graduates like these, alongside the support of this new national body, the future is very bright for First Nations tourism in Australia."

The Minister said both domestic and international visitors were increasingly seeking "unique" Indigenous experiences as part of their travels which "presents great opportunities for First Nations tourism and job creation in Australia's regions and First Nations communities".

The government has increasingly set out to highlight the importance of self-determination and the promotion of Indigenous-led ventures, like tourism, in order to further economic sustainability and prosperity to communities on Country.

This includes the Indigenous Tourism Fund, which is designed to support First Nations people in the travel and tourism industry through grants, mentoring and co-investment in strategic projects; and the First Nations Tourism Mentoring Program, which connects businesses with skilled, experienced, and culturally respectful tourism industry specialists.

"These programs build on support provided by state and territory governments, such as Tourism Northern Territory's Aboriginal Tourism Development Support Grant Program, which is co-funded by the Australian Government and helps to develop Aboriginal cultural tourism experiences and tourism product," a government spokesperson said.