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Ecotourism Australia

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Ecotourism Australia

Ecotourism Australia is a non-profit organisation and is the peak national body for the ecotourism industry.

Ecotourism Australia is a non-government, not-for-profit, peak body that promotes and supports the ecotourism industry in Australia through building capacity and actively promoting sustainable tourism operations and systems. We promote sustainable travel and certified ecotourism experiences available around Australia.

03/08/2026

Happy Keep Australia Beautiful Week! 🌿

This year’s theme, Beautiful Spaces – Happy Places, is a great reminder of the powerful connection between healthy environments and healthy people.

We know that time in nature can do wonders for our wellbeing, from boosting energy and attention to helping us feel calmer and more connected. For children, these benefits are especially important, with outdoor play and physical activity supporting healthy development, confidence and mental wellbeing. By creating opportunities for young people to explore and experience the natural world, we can help nurture both healthier communities and the next generation of nature lovers.

We’re lucky to be joined by the real-life Tarzan, Tom, from our Advanced ECO Certified operator Treetops Adventure Central Coast, sharing why getting young people into nature matters – and how tourism operators can create meaningful connections with their local communities along the way.

Learn more about Treetops Adventure Central Coast by visiting them on the Green Travel Guide: https://greentravelguide.org/listing/treetops-adventure-central-coast/

Keep Australia Beautiful

22/07/2026

This Plastic Free July, we're celebrating destinations turning sustainability into action! 🌏

As an ECO Certified Destination, Port Douglas Daintree continues to demonstrate how practical, community-led initiatives can create meaningful environmental outcomes.

Through the Douglas Chooses to Reuse initiative, Queensland's first reusable cup trial has prevented more than 10,000 single-use cups and lids from entering landfill in just 12 months. Funded by the Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI), delivered by Boomerang Alliance and supported by Douglas Shire Council, the initiative demonstrates how collaboration can drive meaningful change.

The borrow-and-return system is simple. Visitors and locals can enjoy their takeaway drink in a reusable blue cup from participating cafés before returning it to a café or dedicated drop pod, where it is cleaned, sanitised and put back into circulation. By making reuse easy and accessible, the program is helping embed more sustainable habits into everyday life.

Importantly, Douglas Chooses to Reuse is more than a local success story. As a pilot program, it is testing how a reusable cup system can operate within a Queensland tourism destination, with the aim of developing a model that could be scaled across Queensland and beyond.

This initiative highlights the important role destinations play in embedding sustainability into the visitor experience and protecting the natural and cultural values that make places special.

This Plastic Free July, we're proud to celebrate the leadership of our ECO Certified Destinations and the practical actions they're taking to reduce waste and inspire a more sustainable visitor economy.

10/07/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre on achieving ECO Certification!

At the foot of Burleigh Head National Park on Kombumerri Country, Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre has long been creating meaningful connections between visitors, Country and the world's oldest living culture. Proudly owned and operated by the local Aboriginal community through Kalwun Development Corporation, the centre offers authentic cultural experiences that honour tradition while inspiring deeper understanding.

This commitment has now been recognised with ECO Certification, acknowledging Jellurgal's dedication to protecting Country, supporting community and delivering best-practice sustainable tourism. Achieving this milestone during NAIDOC Week 2026 makes it even more meaningful. With this year's theme, "50 Years of Deadly," celebrating five decades of strength, resilience, leadership and cultural richness, it's a fitting time to recognise a business that is proudly sharing living culture with visitors every day.

Some of the ways Jellurgal is leading the way in sustainable, culturally-led tourism include:
🌿 Guided walks through Burleigh Head National Park led by Aboriginal Cultural Officers
🚤 Cultural cruises sharing the stories of Yugambeh Country from the water
🔥 Welcome to Country ceremonies and yarning circles that foster genuine cultural connection
🖐️ Interactive storytelling through traditional tools, audiovisual experiences and hands-on interpretation
🎨 Indigenous artwork sold on consignment, with royalties returned directly to artists
📖 Cultural content developed in partnership with Yugambeh Traditional Custodians and YRACA
🧒 Dedicated Little Explorers and Jarjums programs inspiring younger visitors
🤝 Strong community partnerships with organisations including Yugambeh Museum, IUIH, Deadly Choices and Krurungal
🌏 Community Embracing Culture events that strengthen local connections
📋 A comprehensive Environmental Management Plan and Sustainability Strategy guiding operations
👥 Structured training and professional development for all Aboriginal Cultural Officers
️✅ Continuous improvement driven by guest feedback and experience monitoring

Achieving ECO Certification is a rigorous process, requiring operators to meet more than 200 criteria across the four pillars of sustainability. A huge congratulations to the entire Jellurgal team on this outstanding and well-deserved achievement! 👏

Read the full media release by visiting the link below! https://ecotourism.org.au/jellurgal-cultural-centre/

07/07/2026

🏆 Welcoming Heron Island into the Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame.

For an island this special, the recognition feels very right! One of six 2026 inductees, Heron Island Resort is recognised for 20 years of continuous Advanced Ecotourism Certification - an achievement we couldn’t be prouder to celebrate!

Heron Island is one of those rare places that needs very little introduction. A protected coral cay on the Great Barrier Reef, the reef begins right at the shoreline. Guests snorkel directly from the beach into crystal clear waters, walk beneath ancient Pisonia trees, watch turtles nest and sit with the stars on a clear Coral Sea night. Every experience is shaped by the environment, and the team at Heron Island works incredibly hard to keep it that way.

Heron Island operates under strict environmental management guidelines as part of one of the world's best managed Marine Parks, and its commitment to sustainability is exceptional. A 118kW solar energy system installed in 2021 offsets daytime electricity needs and reduces diesel consumption. High-efficiency hot water systems across the island have cut daily energy use by an estimated 40 to 60 kilowatt hours. A zero-single-use-plastic policy is in place throughout the resort, with refillable toiletries, careful waste sorting and all recyclables returned to the mainland for proper processing.

Beyond their own operations, Heron Island is home to the University of Queensland's Heron Island Research Station, the oldest and largest marine research facility on the Great Barrier Reef. The resort actively supports turtle habitat protection and guest education for endangered Green and Loggerhead turtles, runs citizen science programs including CoralWatch and Eye on the Reef surveys, and promotes donations to the Quoin Island Turtle Rehabilitation Centre.

Twenty years of Advanced Ecotourism Certification in a place this significant is a remarkable achievement. Congratulations to the whole team at Heron Island Resort. 🐠🌴

You can find them on the Green Travel Guide here: https://greentravelguide.org/listing/heron-island-resort/

06/07/2026

🏆 Welcoming Townsville City Council - Eco Catchment Tours into the Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame.

We are so proud to celebrate this milestone with the team at Townsville City Council, one of six 2026 Hall of Fame inductees, recognised for 20 years of Advanced Ecotourism Certification.

The Eco Catchment Tours program has been running since 2006, offering free guided tours for schools, TAFE, university groups, businesses and the broader community. Following the water cycle from creek to coral, the tours bring participants face to face with Townsville's extraordinary ecosystems and help them understand the connections between people, place and the natural world that often go unnoticed in everyday life.

At its heart, this program is about connection. Thousands of residents, students and community groups have experienced that over the past two decades, and the program has been free of charge for every single one of them.

Mayor Nick Dametto said the recognition reflected the program's longevity and the many people who have contributed to its success.

"Since Council's Eco Catchment Tours started 20 years ago, they have highlighted our city's catchments, wetlands, waterways and natural ecosystems to thousands of residents, students, visitors and community groups. The tours encourage participants to actively care for and protect our environment in their everyday lives through environmental education and immersive experiences."

Townsville City Council was also awarded ECO Destination Certification at the Nature Tourism Level in 2024, and this Hall of Fame induction sits alongside that as a testament to their continued commitment to sustainable tourism across the region.

Congratulations to everyone at Townsville City Council who has played a part in making it what it is. 🌿You can find them on the Green Travel Guide here: https://greentravelguide.org/listing/townsville-city-council-eco-catchment-tours/

02/07/2026

🏆 Cape York Motorcycle Adventures has just been inducted into the Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame, and we couldn’t be prouder to celebrate this milestone with them.

Family owned and operated since 1990, Cape York Motorcycle Adventures has spent over three decades taking riders deep into one of Australia's most extraordinary landscapes. From World Heritage rainforest trails and dusty outback tracks to the remote tip of the Australian continent, every tour is built around a genuine love of Cape York and a deep respect for the country, culture and communities that make it so special.

What makes this recognition particularly meaningful is the history behind it. In 2006, Cape York Motorcycle Adventures became the world's first motorcycle tour company to achieve ECO Certification, long before sustainability became an industry talking point. That pioneering spirit has never wavered. Today they remain the only motorcycle tourism operator with nearly two decades of verified eco-leadership, continually refining their emissions reduction practices, limiting group sizes, investing in fuel-efficient vehicles and training guides in low-impact riding techniques and responsible waste management.

💬Director Renae K***a said it best:
"Reaching 20 years of certification reflects two decades of consistently backing up our values with action, caring for Country, operating responsibly, and proving that adventure tourism and sustainability can go hand in hand. For us, Hall of Fame recognition means our long-term commitment has stood the test of time."

Their connection to Cape York runs deep, and every guest who rides with them leaves with not just an adventure but a greater understanding of this remarkable region and why it is worth protecting.

Congratulations to Roy, Renae and the whole Cape York Motorcycle Adventures team.

🌿You can find them on the Green Travel Guide here: https://greentravelguide.org/listing/cape-york-motorcycle-adventures/

01/07/2026

🏆 Welcoming Odyssey Expeditions into the Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame.

Twenty years of continuous ECO Certification is a remarkable achievement and we are so proud to welcome Odyssey Expeditions as one of our six 2026 Hall of Fame inductees.

A family-run business operating in the Kimberley since 1998, Odyssey Expeditions has spent over two decades taking guests deep into one of Australia's most remote and extraordinary coastlines. Their custom-built 24-metre catamaran, MV Odyssey, carries a maximum of 20 guests at a time, giving guests an intimate experience of the wonders of the Kimberley. From navigating deep into hidden creeks and tributaries that larger vessels cannot reach, to anchoring in sheltered waters beneath a sky full of stars, every journey is designed to bring guests as close to this wilderness as possible without leaving a trace on it.

Their tours span the full breadth of the Kimberley, from the 14 Day Ultimate Kimberley Expedition between Broome and Wyndham, to the extraordinary 8 Day Rowley Shoals experience, one of the most remote dive destinations on earth, visited by fewer than 400 people a year. These are places that change how people see the world, and the Odyssey crew, described by guests as the A Team, are passionate about sharing every one of them.

Their approach to sustainability is as considered as it is consistent. Odyssey provides access to wild places without roads, without shore-based structures and without disruption. They travel in small groups, collect marine waste along the way, manage all on-board waste responsibly and train every crew member to lead activities with minimal environmental impact and genuine respect for the cultural history of the places they visit. The philosophy is simple: leave every place better than they found it.

Congratulations to the whole Odyssey Expeditions team. 🌿You can find them on the Green Travel Guide here: https://greentravelguide.org/listing/odyssey-expeditions/

29/06/2026

🏆 Welcoming APT Kimberley Wilderness Adventures into the Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame.

Over 70 businesses across Australia have now achieved 20 years of continuous ECO Certification. These are our nation's first ecotourism innovators, the operators who helped pave the way for sustainable tourism as we know it today. We are honoured to welcome APT Kimberley Wilderness Adventures, one of six 2026 inductees, who hold both Advanced Ecotourism Certification and Respecting Our Culture Certification, into this extraordinary group.

The Kimberley is one of Australia's last great wilderness frontiers, and for over 45 years APT has welcomed guests into this epic landscape. From cruising the Kimberley coast and exploring the Gibb River Road by 4WD, to hiking through Purnululu National Park to the iconic Bungle Bungles, every journey is built to bring guests closer to country. Exclusive wilderness lodges in Bungle Bungle, Mitchell Falls and Bell Gorge offer intimate, low-impact accommodation deep in some of the most remote and beautiful country in the world.

Two decades of certification reflects two decades of consistent, meaningful action. APT Kimberley Wilderness Adventures has built genuine, long-standing partnerships with Traditional Owners across the region, creating sustainable employment opportunities and directly supporting local communities. Their wilderness lodges are purpose-built to minimise environmental impact, powered by solar energy and designed specifically for the remote conditions of the Kimberley. Beyond their own operations, their work has helped raise awareness of the Kimberley's unique ecosystems, fostering advocacy that extends well beyond the tour itself.

"Two decades of certification through Ecotourism Australia signals that sustainability isn't a marketing layer, it's embedded in every itinerary, partnership and on-ground decision in the Kimberley," said Mladen Vukic, Chief Product Officer of the APT Travel Group.

Congratulations to the whole team at APT Kimberley Wilderness Adventures on two decades of world-class sustainability leadership.

24/06/2026

🌿 MEDIA RELEASE | Six of Australia's leading ecotourism operators have been inducted into Ecotourism Australia's Hall of Fame, recognised for maintaining ECO Certification for an extraordinary 20 years. These long-term leaders join 70 other businesses previously honoured for their consistent commitment to world-class sustainability standards.

A further eight operators were acknowledged as Green Travel Leaders, celebrating a decade of ECO Certification and their enduring contribution to responsible tourism.

This year's announcement carries extra significance as we celebrate 30 years since developing the world's first national ECO Certification program and 35 years of leadership in sustainable tourism. 💚

Read the full Media Release here: https://ecotourism.org.au/six-operators-inducted-into-ecotourism-australias-hall-of-fame-as-organisation-marks-35-years-of-leadership/

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816/3 Parkland Boulevard
Brisbane City, QLD
4000

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5pm
Friday	8:30am - 5pm

Website

https://www.ecotourism.org.au/

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