The Aboriginal tourism sector in New South Wales increased by 50 per cent a year making it one of the most popular states for international visitors wanting an Indigenous cultural experience, according to a report by Destination NSW.

Among the success stories is Wajaana Yaam–Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours on the Coffs Coast, which was started by Clark Webb.

Mr Webb said the tour company offered stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking combined with the stories and language of his people — the Gumbaynggirr.

He said his people, the Gumbaynggirr, were Saltwater People so it made sense to get visitors out on the water.

"Through Wajaana Yaam Adventure tours we do stand-up paddle boarding in three of our Solitary Islands Marine Park creeks, Coffs Creek, Moonee Creek and Red Rock, " he said.

"We teach a bit of our language Gumbaynggirr, we sample some seasonal bush foods, we do some snorkelling.

"We also talk about some of our more recent histories where some of the Aboriginal camps were for a long time and when people were forcibly removed.

"We explain our contemporary Aboriginal experience.

"Our culture's like in pieces and for us it's like a jigsaw puzzle where we're trying to reconnect everything.

Aboriginal stand-up paddle board cultural tour on Coffs Creek, Coffs Harbour NSW. ( Supplied: Wajaana Yaam - Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tours )

"Our old people were cutting canoes from trees for all those thousands of years and standing up in them and paddling them along.

"So stand-up paddling was actually created here."

Mr Webb said the tourism industry is really important to the local Aboriginal community.

It's the only industry I can think of that combines the revitalisation of our language and culture with an economic future.

"So we're saying to our kids now, if you get passionate about learning your language and learning your culture and get good at public speaking, here's a job for you as a tour guide or as a language teacher."

Mr Webb said there was also a land-based component to his tours.

"Our other tour is on the mountain behind Coffs Harbour, on the Sealy and Korora lookouts.

"It gives us a really good vantage point where we can see the stories that are written in the landscape.

A similar operation Unkya Cultural Eco Tours offers Aboriginal cultural experiences at Scotts Head and the Gaagal Wanggan National Park south of the Nambucca river mouth.

Unkya Tourism manager Belinda Donovan said their tours started with a Welcome to Country in Gumbaynggirr, then a sprinkling and smoking ceremony.

"We then take the tourists for a walk to the beach and tell them some Dreaming stories, show them bush foods and bush medicines as well as the ecological side.

"Where we have our tour and where we tell the Dreaming Story is the beach and the story is about the creation of the ocean.

Aboriginal cultural tour at Scotts Head beach, NSW. ( Supplied: Unkya Cultural Eco Tours )

In Gumbaynggirr spirituality Scotts Head is where the ocean, or Gaagal, was created

"So when these people are hearing the story they are actually standing on the place where it actually happened.

"We tell them about protecting country and looking after it.

People from all walks of life are becoming interested in the ancient culture of Australia.

"We've had businesses, schools, leisure groups, executives and also government agencies that are taking a really keen interest.

"International interest is also growing rapidly with tourists wanting to experience and Aboriginal tour.

"We've taken people out from Tibet, from Singapore, Belgium, Germany and Russia, mainly from the Asian and European countries.

"People from all corners of the world are coming to Scotts Head and the Nambucca.

"They actually get to walk and experience the most ancient culture in the world.

Ms Donovan said the international tourists were really interested in bush tucker and medicine which are seen as 'super foods'.

She said on the tours they picked different varieties of berries such as from the lilly pilly tree, as well as 'pig face' which grows on sand dunes and cliffs can be eaten raw or boiled.

Tourists are also shown shellfish growing such as oysters, turban snails, and pipis and told about 'middens', which are occupation sites, often in circles, where Aboriginal people left remains of meals.

Some are metres deep.

Ms Donovan said the tours also showed fish traps and fishing methods.

She said groups across the region were working together to make Aboriginal cultural tourism a success.