The Great Barrier Reef has long been the birthplace of pioneering ecotourism businesses now sharing their sustainability mission across Australia, and Coral Expeditions is no exception.

Beginning with the Coral Princess, a converted ‘Fairmile’ submarine chaser commissioned in 1983, the company has since launched small ship expedition cruises across from Great Barrier Reef to the Kimberley, all the way to the South Pacific Islands and Papua New Guinea.

This year not only marks an incredible 40 years of operating awe-inspiring cruises but celebrates the 20-year anniversary of achieving ECO Certification with Ecotourism Australia. The Coral Expeditions team say that sustainability is part of their DNA.

“ECO Certification holds immense significance for Coral Expeditions due to our unwavering commitment to the destinations we are fortunate to explore,” said Tilly Wickramasekera, Marketing Coordinator at Coral Expeditions. “Our dedication lies in leaving these natural environments in a better state than we found them.”

With diverse environments to explore in areas that others cannot reach, Coral Expeditions go above and beyond to protect them.

The legacy operator participates in Rapid Monitoring Surveys as part of the Eye on the Reef program, sharing reef observations with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and are licenced to remove one of the major threats to the Great Barrier Reef, the Crown of Thorns Starfish. Keeping in Queensland, they visit the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on Fitzroy Island on some of their tours, donating each visit and contributing over $5,000 each year.

Coral Expeditions also donates to incredible institutions like the Lizard Island Research Station (LIRS) which supplies facilities for coral reef research and education, and the Bare Sands Turtle Sanctuary, while providing transport and staff equipment when required.

On board, they provide SPF50+ reef safe sunscreen, a non-toxic alternative to normal sunscreens, and have significantly reduced its plastic wastage in their supply chain.

Wickramasekera stated, “Sustainable practices are at the core of our values, and we continually seek opportunities to safeguard and conserve the beauty of both terrestrial and marine landscapes.”

Between their contributions to protecting land and water environments across Australia, they look forward to the moments when they can get their guests involved.

“While we are very proud of all our sustainability initiatives, our Citizen Science voyages have become an annual occurrence in our sailing schedule, and an initiative that is close to our hearts,” stated Wickramasekera. “These voyages offer guests a chance to contribute to conservation programs including biodiversity databases, wildlife rehabilitation and coral science throughout the voyages.”

Learning from the success of their 2021 Citizen Science departure, a voyage launching on 23 October 2023, and another two launching in early 2024 and 2025, are in sight and not to be missed.

• 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.

A new benefit as of this year, all Business Supporters receive access to Ecotourism Australia’s Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard to demonstrate their commitment to continuous improvement and to grow on their sustainability journey. Read on to discover what Business Supporter Tree Hugger Travel thought of the Scorecard program.

Tree Hugger Travel founder John Paul Whelan lives and breathes ethical and sustainable travel and, as a travel agent, he encourages his clients to make a positive impact on the communities and places they visit. Their travel packages often feature ECO Certified operators as well as opportunities for travellers to give back with citizen science and conservation experiences.

Since the business’ inception in 2018, Tree Hugger Travel has been dedicated to supporting wildlife and habitat conservation around the world through their collaboration with World Land Trust, directly funding the purchase and protection of 27 acres of biologically diverse habitats. Now they are turning to projects closer to home, those protecting ancient rainforest and iconic species here in Australia. The goal is every booking will make a difference and Tree Hugger Travel’s sights are firmly set on securing wildlife corridors and land re-connecting the Wet Tropics including the Daintree and Atherton Tablelands.

For John, sustainability is everything to his business. So when he saw the opportunity to participate in the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard as part of Tree Hugger Travel’s Business Supporter membership, he jumped at the chance to gain tangible insights into his business’s sustainability performance and advice on how to improve.

John said, “I already had a reasonably solid understanding of low impact, ethical, nature and wildlife tourism and how to tread lightly before completing the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard. However, it really helped me to expand my knowledge on sustainability and better understand some of the nuances beyond environmental sustainability, particularly in social and cultural sustainability.”

Using the simply set out online portal, he was easily able to work through the criteria at a pace that suited him as a small, solo operator.

“The portal was self-explanatory to work through and, while I took my time going through each criteria, it was really valuable to be able to put everything that is often just floating around in my head down in documents and to see my business from a birds eye view.”

For John, the main benefit of completing the Scorecard program stemmed from the opportunity to reflect on his business.

“Previously, I had been too time-poor to properly evaluate my business on a deeper level and to measure my sustainability performance. The Scorecard gave me time to reflect and to use this as an opportunity to develop my business with a foundation of holistic sustainability. I also was able to question and understand my values and processes more thoroughly which was important for me.”

For Tree Hugger Travel their sustainability journey doesn’t end here. Their next steps involve building a solid foundation of sustainability across the entire business and to continue learning and sharing with their network.

“At Tree Hugger Travel, we’re a resource for tomorrow’s traveller so we want to connect to customers through responsible travel and sustainability information on our blogs. We also intend to better connect with local groups and travellers to continue the sustainability learning journey together and to build a community for regenerative tourism.”

Click here to discover more about Tree Hugger Travel on the Ecotourism Australia website.

The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard is as a benefit included in Business Supporter and Corporate Supporter membership with Ecotourism Australia. Head to our website to learn more about Ecotourism Australia membership.

Tree Hugger Travel completed their Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard on 9 August 2023 and is a snapshot of their current sustainability practices. The scorecard is not a certification and is valid for 12 months upon completion.

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FUNDING PARTNER

Fascinated by the blooming corals and the array of marine life in the world-renowned Ningaloo Reef, Murray Pattison and Sonia Beckwith founded Live Ningaloo in 2016 to offer guests an intimate swimming experience in the majestic ocean with whale sharks and humpback whales alike.

Regenerative Tourism – leaving a place better than you found it.

Since Sonia introduced this idea to Murray in 2019, Live Ningaloo have been trying their best to make up for their impacts and safeguard the environment they love.

“Constant development and improvement when it comes to sustainability and regeneration are at the heart of everything we do, and to be able to communicate to our audience in a way that encapsulates our efforts in a format like the scorecard felt necessary,” stated Live Ningaloo Operations Manager, Gigi McKercher.

As proof of Live Ningaloo’s willingness to constantly improve the sustainability of their business, not only have they achieved Advanced Ecotourism Certification with Ecotourism Australia in 2017, but they also completed their Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard in 2023 with an outstanding performance. They were also the gold winner of the Australian Tourism Award ecotourism category for two consecutive years since 2021.

By addressing each criterion, the scorecard is a great tool for operators to reflect and seek improvements annually.

“It was a reflective moment as a business to ensure that we are on the pathway that we aspire to be, and therefore we are proud of our accomplishments as we were able to meet most of the criteria. There is, however, always room for improvement and this acts as a driver for us to reach our potential and score even higher next year.”

The comprehensive report that comes with the scorecard provides Live Ningaloo with customised feedback, assuring them of their current effort in sustainability and delivering insights into how they can improve.

“Being recognised as contributing actively to our region, environment and local culture was a real ‘pat on the back’ moment. But also learning that we still have space to grow to unlock our full potential and be pioneers of sustainability within our industry sparks ideas and movements that we will work on within this fiscal year to improve.”

They believe completing the scorecard not only benefits Live Ningaloo, but will also have a profound impact on the industry, the community, and their guests.

“Not just for Live Ningaloo, but for all businesses, this program highlights and celebrates the environmental successes that have been achieved, big or small, and presents them in a format in which the eco-conscious tourist can choose thoughtfully whether the experience is right for them. We feel that this program will provide another pathway for us to connect with and enrich our guests’ experience with us.”

So, what is the next step for Live Ningaloo?

“We have just developed a new website which we are extremely proud of and will be ensuring that our scorecard is a centrepiece for our audience. We additionally hope to encourage other businesses within our industry to follow our lead and look forward to this program being a part of our annual review.”

Read more about Live Ningaloo’s Sustainable and Regenerative Tourism initiatives.

Live Ningaloo completed their Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard on 7 July 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.