The ECO Think Destination Forum will be held in Bundaberg from 28 to 30 March, with the theme 'Sustainability is a journey'.

The event will bring together representatives from a wide range of organisations across Australia and the Pacific to discuss best practice sustainable and ecotourism destination management and opportunities for continuous improvement.

Key speakers, including from Tourism Australia, Austrade, Accor Australia Pacific, the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse, regional tourism organisations and destination leaders will highlight the latest in global sustainability standards, changing market demands from travellers, best practice to inspire knowledge sharing, and discuss practical ideas for embedding sustainability in every region in Australia.

“As the peak body for sustainable and ecotourism in Australia and a global leader in Destination Certification, we are delighted to see such a calibre of speakers and variety of topics coming together to drive our tourism industry towards a more sustainable future,” said Ecotourism Australia Chief Executive, Ms Elissa Keenan.

“The regions participating in our ECO Destination Certification programs recognise the importance to have a strong commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism across the four pillars of sustainability; environmental, socio-economic, cultural and sustainable management.”

Some 80 delegates will attend the 2023 ECO Think Destination Forum. More than half represent destination management organisations of regional and state tourism organisations and councils, and those representing a certified destination or region aspiring to achieve global standard certification.  State and federal government agencies, national parks agencies, tourism operators and tourism support services representatives will also be in attendance.

“We are pleased to bring this event to regional Australia and support Queensland and the Bundaberg region's visitor economy.  More than 40% of attendees are travelling from interstate and more 50% are travelling intrastate to attend the forum and enjoy the region.  Delegates will visit the Mon Repos Turtle Centre, Macadamias Australia, undertake the Taribelang Bunda Cultural Tour and of course the Bundaberg Rum Distillery Experience is also on the itinerary,” Ms Keenan said.

Councillor Steve Cooper, who will help to officially open the forum, said Bundaberg Regional Council was proud to host Ecotourism Australia's 2023 ECO Think Destination Forum after becoming the second certified ECO Destination in Queensland. “We welcome the opportunity to showcase our best practice sustainability initiatives to such a variety of delegates on a national stage,” Cr Cooper said.

“We invite all attendees to share in the variety of experiences and hospitality venues that our region has to offer.”

Katherine Reid, CEO Bundaberg Tourism said the Bundaberg tourism industry continues to live out sustainability principles daily. “Every day our tourism industry and our community here in the Bundaberg region strive to make sustainable choices to protect our internationally significant natural assets for generations to come. We understand that without a healthy environment and connected community, tourism cannot exist.”

This event could not take place without the support of our partner, WWF-Australia, and event sponsors, Tourism and Events Queensland (Platinum Sponsor), Tourism Tribe (Gold Sponsor) and JMD Ross Insurance Brokers (Silver Sponsor).

Further information about the ECO THINK Destination Forum including the event program can be found here.

Media Opportunities

Tuesday 28 March 2023

Mon Repos Turtle Centre                            5.30 – 7.30 pm
Delegates, Ecotourism Australia Chief Executive Officer Elissa Keenan, Bundaberg Regional Councillor Steve Cooper, Bundaberg Tourism Chief Executive Katherine Reid and a welcome to country by local Traditional Owners.

Wednesday 29 March 2023

Bundaberg Multiplex Sports and Convention Centre

9.00 – 11.00 am (Media may attend the Forum presentation for photographs/footage)

9.45 – 10.00 am CEO Elissa Keenan will be available for media interviews

(Speaking in the morning session will be Tourism Australia, Austrade, Tourism and Events Queensland, WWF-Australia and Accor Australia Pacific). Full event program here.

Macadamias Australia                   6.30 – 9.30 pm

Destination Forum Dinner and panel with local operators

-          Peter Gash, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort (ECO certified)

-          Janelle Gerry, Macadamias Australia (ECO Certification applicant)

-          Ty McKeown, Bundaberg Rum Distillery (Sustainable Tourism Certification applicant)

-          Brett Lakey, Lady Musgrave experience (ECO certified)

Thursday 30 March 2023

Delegate tourism famil with local operators                       12.00 – 5.00 pm

Bundaberg Rum Distillery Experience and Taribelang Bunda Cultural Tours

If you wish to arrange a media interview outside of the above please contact Katie Heilbronn on 0484 709 952 or Elissa Keenan on 0448 866 049.

END

About Ecotourism Australia

Ecotourism Australia is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation, established in 1991, that promotes and supports the ecotourism industry in Australia through building capacity and actively promoting sustainable tourism operations and systems.

Our key program – ECO Certification – was the world's first national ecotourism certification program. Ecotourism Australia's certification programs are acknowledged globally for our industry standards and recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

We are recognised as the credible, national peak body for sustainable and nature-based tourism.

We have over 1,700 certified experiences with 500 operators in our ECO, Climate Action, and Respecting Our Culture Certifications. In 2018 we launched the ECO Destination Certification program where operators and government work together to demonstrate a community-wide and entire regions' commitment to sustainable tourism management practices. Together with our certified operators and destinations, we are committed to sustainable destination management, protecting the natural environment and bridging the gap between tourism and conservation.

In late 2022, a new Sustainable Tourism program was launched to support the broader tourism industry to demonstrate their commitment to, and be recognised for, the four pillars of sustainability: environmental, cultural, financial/business, and socio-economic.

• A Sustainable Tourism Scorecard (Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard) – with particular focus on small-medium enterprises and micro-businesses, as a pathway to begin their sustainability journey. It is not a certification program; it is a benchmark assessment that allows operators to assess their progress across the four pillars of sustainability. It is suitable for a very wide range of business types and sizes across our sector.
• A higher-level Sustainable Tourism Certification (Sustainable Tourism Certification and Advanced Sustainable Tourism Certification meeting GSTC standards) for non-nature-based tourism businesses to achieve global best practice certification.
• A Sustainable Tourism Destination Certification (Sustainable Tourism Destination Certification and Advanced Sustainable Tourism Destination Certification) for more urban regions wanting to meet global standards).

Ecotourism Australia has global partnerships, working with GSTC, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Green Destinations (an international organisation for sustainable destination development) and key partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region including with WWF-Australia, Parks Australia and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).

Our partnership with Green Destinations connects us with tourism operators and businesses around the world certified by Green Destinations (who are also recognised by the GSTC). We have a consumer-facing website that features every ECO certified operator, ECO certified Destination and applicant ECO Destination in Australia: https://greentravelguide.org