The team at Arthurs Seat Eagle, which offers brilliant views of Arthurs Seat in Victoria, was connecting with members of the Victorian tourism industry when they noticed more and more discussion about sustainability.

“After attending relevant industry summits, we got a sense there is a movement towards consumers seeing sustainable travel options,” stated Chief Operating Officer, Genna Monaghan. “It wasn’t until we heard Simon Napthine share his journey to complete the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard for the Sovereign Hill Museum Association that we realised that a lot of the practices and procedures we already do would contribute to being a sustainable business.”

Arthurs Seat Eagle decided to investigate the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard to learn more about sustainability and how they could implement it in their business.

“I think every business wants to be more sustainable, yet we don’t really understand how at a micro level, all that is involved to ‘be sustainable’. It’s an interesting phase where I’m sure if we all wrote down what we thought sustainability meant it would all come out with very different ideas,” said Genna.

They discovered the Scorecard was a great tool to equip them with a better understanding of what sustainability can look like beyond the big-ticket items, like renewable energy, while also recognising what they were already doing well.

“The Scorecard ties together all our processes and highlights how we contribute to sustainable business practices. It adds depth to what we do and helps us value the work we were already doing in a positive light.”

Sustainability is more than just protecting the environment and Arthurs Seat Eagle are a big advocate for supporting local initiatives. In addition to their sustainable business practices and environmental efforts, they are dedicated to employing locally, showcasing regional produce and products in their retail store, and supporting local charities such as the Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation to plant koala habitat along the gondola cable line.

Since completing the quick and simple Scorecard assessment, Arthurs Seat Eagle have been able to identify their next steps for improvement in the sustainability space. They found the Scorecard helped their decision-making process when considering new suppliers and have since created sustainability metrics for their supply chain.

“We developed a supplier scorecard and assessed our current and potential suppliers based on price, quality & sustainability metrics. The supplier scorecard helps us quantify the suppler relationship based on the metrics we value and allows us greater depth of understanding about how strongly aligned the relationship is.”

The team at Arthurs Seat Eagle now look forward to the day where sustainability isn’t just a buzzword or just coming to the attention of businesses but is the new industry norm.

“Hopefully it is only a matter of time before the novelty of sustainability transforms into the part and parcel of everyday business and life. In setting realistic goals and taking incremental steps businesses can avoid greenwashing the idea of sustainability. Time spent in breaking down how each step will contribute to doing ‘business for good’ will lead businesses, valuing the sustainability journey, I think, on the right track,” stated Genna.

Want the best views of Arthurs Seat in Victoria? Arthurs Seat Eagle on Boonwurrrung and Bunurong Country takes its guests 314 meters above sea level in one of their bright blue gondolas. Discover more about this iconic attraction in the Mornington Peninsula here: https://aseagle.com.au/

Arthurs Seat Eagle completed their Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard on 30 June 2023 and is a snapshot of their current sustainability practices. The scorecard is not a certification and is valid for 12 months upon completion.

• Introduce a balanced structure of member-elected Directors (maximum 5) and Board-appointed Directors (maximum 4)
• Update Director terms from 2 years to 3 years, with a maximum of two terms (6 years total)
• Meet current regulatory requirements for a Company Limited by Guarantee
• Be modernised and contemporary to meet Ecotourism Australia’s strategic imperatives and our objectives
• Provide a streamlined and concise governance framework.

After exploring Fort Nepean as a child in 1981, Emocean Eco Tours owner Dean Saunders returned to his heartland in the Mornington Peninsula in the early 2000s.

After noticing the increasing number of visitors to the Fort Nepean park, Dean decided he wanted to share his love of the area in a way that encouraged people to use the area responsibly. The idea of e-bike tours by the ocean (EMOCEAN) was born.

Now working with Parks Victoria as a Licensed Tour Operator, Emocean Eco Tours take guests to explore iconic historical landmarks, including Quarantine Station, Gunners Cottage and Cemetery, Cheviot Hill, Fort Pearce and Fort Nepean. On their tours, guests can learn about the history of Fort Nepean and its role in protecting Victoria’s gold reserves, see wildlife in its natural habitat and witness the breath-taking beauty of the ocean and bay.

As part of their commitment to ongoing improvement of their sustainability practices, Emocean Eco Tours completed the Strive 4 Sustainability Scoreboard to assess their practices against the four pillars of sustainability in their operation.

“Emocean Eco Tours wanted to make sure that the word Eco in our company name really meant something; and that it wasn’t just something we said, it was something we believed in and practiced”, said Dean.

For them, they valued the comprehensiveness of the Scorecard assessment to serve as a business development tool.

“When we discovered Ecotourism Australia, we liked their approach in that it wasn’t just a ‘tick and flick’ road to sustainability, but an ongoing program where we’re constantly working on different parts of our business, be it cultural, environmental, social or otherwise. There are gaps we hadn’t even considered in some cases that can make you a better company, providing better experiences for your customers.”

Completing the Scorecard gave their business some unexpected benefits too.

“It’s made us look differently at who we partner with as well and to see who we trade with through a different lens. It also makes your staff feel proud about their work knowing that you work for a socially conscious company,” said Dean.

After completing the Scorecard, they realised there were some areas of sustainability where they were performing better in than others. Dean said their score now serves as a baseline and focus to determine where they can improve for future.

Completing the Scorecard has inspired Emocean Eco Tours to continue on their sustainability journey.

“The program has motivated us to reach out to access further services and recognition, such as working towards our NDIS status, and undertaking cultural sensitivity and heritage training. We’re also reviewing our e-bike fleet to ensure they meet our own standards and creating a future roadmap to improve our scorecard,” shared Dean.

Emocean Eco Tours completed their Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard on 5 October 2023 and is a snapshot of their current sustainability practices. The scorecard is not a certification and is valid for 12 months upon completion.

• Introduce a balanced structure of member-elected Directors (maximum 5) and Board-appointed Directors (maximum 4)
• Update Director terms from 2 years to 3 years, with a maximum of two terms (6 years total)
• Meet current regulatory requirements for a Company Limited by Guarantee
• Be modernised and contemporary to meet Ecotourism Australia’s strategic imperatives and our objectives
• Provide a streamlined and concise governance framework.

Temptation Sailing started their charted tours in the Gulf of St Vincent in 2000 when the Glenelg Marina Pier was first built. In April 2001, when a young dolphin and its mother found Glenelg Marina Pier to be home, it sparked an idea for the Temptation team.

They travelled and visited dolphin cruise operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from the best in the business running ethical tours centred on understanding and protecting the enchanting marine world. Being the first vessel to obtain a licence for swimming with dolphins in South Australia, they have been running swim and watch tours ever since.

To further complement their ecologically sustainable tourism ethos, Temptation Sailing achieved Advanced Ecotourism Certification with Ecotourism Australia in 2013 and Green Travel Leader status in 2023. This certification meant they exceeded the requirements of globally recognised best practice certification standards.

“Our Advanced ECO Certification is a crucial component of operating our business,” said Temptation Sailing owner William Pyke.

“We operate Wild Dolphin Swim and Watch tours where sustainability is of the highest importance to us. We are proud to attract customers who both care about the dolphins we interact with and actively seek responsible ECO Certified businesses,” he said.

To William, being Advanced Ecotourism certified is a benchmark for their business as it not only recognises their sustainable initiatives to minimise impact but encourages them to do more.

At Temptation Sailing, their genuine passion for protecting marine life shines through in their education of guests from around the world. On tours, they advise their guests of the importance of being respectful and not interrupting the majestic wildlife during swims.

“In order for us to have minimal impact on the environment and dolphins, we run tours which do not force or coax the interactions and allow the dolphins to interact with the swimmers and watchers on their own terms.”

Over the years, Temptation Sailing has continued to find ways to reduce their impact on the environment.

“We are most proud of our extremely low carbon footprint and offsetting our carbon emissions. We have a partnership with GreenFleet Australia where our emissions are 100% offset through planting native trees and shrubs in National Parks throughout Australia.”

Temptation Sailing proudly contribute to wildlife conservation by partnering with local communities and universities to research two dolphin species found along Adelaide’s coast and find ways to improve their practices.

“We are launching our Temptation Dolphin Research Program (TDRP) this season where we will have trained volunteers recording data on the local dolphin populations. In collaboration with Flinders University, this will be used to continuously assess the overall health of the local dolphin population we interact with.”

Learn more about Temptation Sailing and their dolphin experiences on the Green Travel Guide:

https://greentravelguide.org/listing/temptation-sailing

On one side, waves gently lap onto Potato Point beachfront. On the other, dense trees line the edge of Eurobodalla National Park. At Beachfront Holiday Park, guests have the best of both worlds and a choice of four types of cozy cabins for the perfect nature stay on Yuin Country, New South Wales.

Surrounded by wildlife and pristine environments, it’s important to them to take part in green initiatives for the protection of the land they rely on.

Thanks to a partnership between Ecotourism Australia and Destination NSW, Beachcomber Holiday Park was able to complete the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard to assess where they were at on their sustainability journey.

“We are always looking to improve our footprint and the overall impact we and our guests have on planet Earth,” said manager Garry Sullivan. For him, finding out what he was doing well and which areas he could improve upon was his main goal.

Using Ecotourism Australia’s simple and easy to navigate portal, Garry was proud to report through the Scorecard that Beachcomber Holiday Park’s clean energy was contributing to a better tourism future. Its facilities are solar powered or powered by battery storage, and they contribute to water conservation by capturing rainwater and using water from underground bores.

Garry could report they are constantly seeking to minimise waste through composting and recycling, as well as ensuring they use low impact cleaning products to better protect the surrounding Eurobodalla National Park’s delicate ecosystems.

The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard allowed him to look back on how Beachcomber Holiday Park is setting the groundwork for a more sustainable operation, but in the process learned there was more to sustainability than he thought.

“What I found most interesting was that being 100 off-grid is not enough,” said Garry. “More energy and resources need to be directed toward educating our team, our guests, and our local community on the importance of becoming more sustainable as a collective.”

Sharing with others how to look after the environment they visit is a crucial step toward on any sustainability journey, and Beachcomber Holiday Park is eager to keep improving on their operation using personalised feedback provided through the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard.

“Our next steps are to share our sustainability journey, the successes and the actions we are going to undertake with our stakeholders so there is a level of accountability at our end,” stated Garry. “We also want to help create a positive message, so others come along for the ride and even kickstart their own sustainability journey.”

See Beachcomber Holiday Park’s eco-cabins: https://beachcomberholidaypark.com.au/

• Introduce a balanced structure of member-elected Directors (maximum 5) and Board-appointed Directors (maximum 4)
• Update Director terms from 2 years to 3 years, with a maximum of two terms (6 years total)
• Meet current regulatory requirements for a Company Limited by Guarantee
• Be modernised and contemporary to meet Ecotourism Australia’s strategic imperatives and our objectives
• Provide a streamlined and concise governance framework.