Brisbane City, QLD

About Us

Ecotourism Australia (EA) is the credible, national peak body for sustainable and eco-tourism. We are a non-government, not-for-profit member organisation established in 1991. We promote and support the ecotourism industry in Australia by building capacity and actively promoting sustainable tourism operations and systems.

We pioneered the world’s first national ecotourism certification program with our foundational program – ECO Certification. Our Certification programs, including the Sustainable Tourism Certification, set global best practices and receive international recognition from the industry.

As the peak body for ecotourism and sustainable tourism we connect, champion, inspire and inform through strategic partnerships and global best practice standards.

We certify nearly 2000 experiences, tours, attractions and accommodation in our ECO, Sustainable Tourism, Climate Action, and Respecting Our Culture Certifications.

In 2018 we launched the ECO Destination Certification program where local government; regional tourism organisations and operators work together to demonstrate a community-wide and regional commitment to sustainable tourism management practices. Today, almost 20 destinations in Australia and the Pacific participate in the program.

More recently Ecotourism Australia launched, three new sustainability programs: Sustainable Tourism Certification, Sustainable Tourism Destination Certification, and a pre-certification benchmarking program the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard. These programs are based on our globally recognised ECO Certification standard and are designed to support and recognise the broader tourism industry demonstrating commitment to the four pillars of sustainability: environmental, cultural, financial/business, and socio-economic impact. Our core program, ECO Certification, showcases ECO Certified operators’ sustainability leadership with additional criteria for wildlife engagement and conservation, while our Sustainable Tourism Certification supports tourism businesses operating in urban environments.

We have established global partnerships, working with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), UN Tourism (formerly known as the United Nations World Tourism Organisation – UNWTO), Green Destinations (an international organisation for sustainable destination development); and we are a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

Collaborating with fellow global certifying bodies with similar best practice certification standards, we established and contribute to the ongoing development of internationally accepted sustainability criteria and industry recognised standards for sustainable tourism. Green Key, Green Globe, Green Key International, Travelife for Accommodation, Travelife for Tour Operators, Biosphere, Foundation for Environmental Education, Good Travel Seal, and TourCert and Ecotourism Australia are committed to promoting continuous improvement of these bodies’ sustainable performance and ensuring professional services are provided fairly and affordably to all businesses and sectors in the travel and tourism industry.

We partner with key organisations in the Asia-Pacific region including Tourism Australia, WWF-Australia, Accor Australia Pacific, Big Red Group, Australian Tourism Data Warehouse, Australian Tourism Export Council, various state tourism organisations, and national parks agencies across Australia including Parks Australia, and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA).