Joining Australia’s leading cohort of ecotourism destinations, the Capricorn Coast has reached global best-practice sustainable destination standards with Ecotourism Australia’s ECO Destination Certification at the Ecotourism level.
As the fifth certified destination in Queensland and the 11th in Australia, the region has been proactive and transparent in sharing milestones along their sustainability journey, which expands beyond the tourism sector.
Through the support of the Queensland Government, the Eco-Certification Destination program is enabling 11 local government areas and regional tourism authorities with funding up to $150,000 to achieve globally recognised certifications.
Situated in the Southern Great Barrier Reef, Capricorn Coast boasts unparalleled marine and reef experiences. In addition, the region offers beautiful beaches, lush national parks, and charming coastal towns. Visitors can enjoy activities such as snorkeling, diving, and fishing in the pristine waters. Capricorn Coast completes the trifecta of Southern Great Barrier Reef regions, also including Bundaberg and Gladstone, implementing world class sustainable tourism through ECO Destination Certification.
The Capricorn Coast has received intense support from their local industry who are working towards being more sustainable in their own operations. Seven local operators hold ECO Certification, including Capricorn Caves, who have maintained best-practice certification standards for more than 20 years.
“Ecotourism Australia are pleased to award ECO Destination Certification to Capricorn Coast, who have been champions in their commitment to internationally recognised sustainable tourism standards,” said Ecotourism Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Elissa Keenan.
“Strong support from all stakeholders has been instrumental in this achievement and it has been incredible to see passion, dedication and collaboration from the council, Regional Tourism Organisation, Traditional Owners and local operators to reach the certification milestone.”
The certification was led by Livingstone Shire Council and supported by Capricorn Enterprise and local tourism industry stakeholders.
Development and Environment Committee Co-Chair, Councillor Pat Eastwood said achieving ECO Destination Certification is a significant milestone for Livingstone Shire, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to sustainable tourism.
“This achievement would not have been possible without the strong partnership between Council, Capricorn Enterprise, and Ecotourism Australia, as well as the essential funding from the Queensland Government’s Department of Tourism and Sport. Additionally, the dedicated efforts of our project lead, Amy Druery, were crucial to our success,” Cr Eastwood said.
“This certification not only puts Livingstone Shire on the map as a premier eco-friendly destination but also ensures that we continue to offer high-quality, sustainable tourism experiences. We are proud to join the ranks of globally recognised eco destinations and look forward to furthering our sustainable practices to benefit both our community and the environment.”
Capricorn Enterprise CEO Mary Carroll said, “Achieving ECO Destination certification for the Capricorn Coast was identified in our Destination Tourism Strategy 2021-2030, not only in response to the fact that sustainability is moving out of niche sector tourism and into the mainstream, but to make a very clear statement about protecting the environmental, social and cultural values which make this community and destination so special.”
“Capricorn Enterprise made a pledge at the National Regions Rising conference in 2022 hosted by the Regional Institute of Australia (RIA), that we would achieve the ECO Destination Certification by the end of 2024, but we have achieved it six months earlier, for which we are most proud.”
Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga said this certification helped bring even more eyes to the great tourism experiences in the region.
“The Miles Government is working hard to position Queensland and our tourism destinations as world leaders in sustainable tourism.
“It is great to see the Capricorn Coast and Livingstone Shire Council area achieve ECO-Destination Certification under the program which provided up to $150 000 to eligible applicants to earn this important recognition.
“In line with Towards Tourism 2032 this program will help our tourism destinations meet a real growing demand from tourists around the globe who are looking for low impact travel, high quality nature-based experiences and an ongoing commitment to sustainability.”
Tourism and Events Queensland CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said nature is at the heart of Queensland’s tourism story so it’s great to see another Queensland destination achieve this outcome.
“Congratulations to Capricorn Enterprise and Livingstone Shire Council on the Capricorn Coast’s ECO certification, the fifth Queensland destination to prioritise sustainable tourism policies, procedures and programs.
“More and more destinations in Queensland are becoming ECO certified which is part of a bigger strategy to maintain world best-practice standards and align with current global trends in nature-based tourism and ecotourism.
“The certification gives travellers confidence that destinations are committed to sustainable practices and offer high-quality nature-based tourism experiences.”
ECO Destination Certification at the Ecotourism level assesses a region on more than 90 criteria across eight sections including Destination Management, Environment and Climate, Culture and Tradition, and Social Wellbeing. By achieving ECO Destination Certification, Capricorn Coast joins a global network of more than 200 destinations in 60 countries through Ecotourism Australia’s partnership with Green Destinations.
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Media contact:
Ecotourism Australia – Jillian Santry, Communications and Events Officer e: communications@ecotourism.org.au ph: 07 3256 6777
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. We are recognised as the credible, national peak body for sustainable and nature-based tourism in Australia.
Our foundational program – ECO Certification – was the world’s first national ecotourism certification program. We have more than 1,900 certified experiences in our ECO, Sustainable Tourism, Climate Action, and Respecting Our Culture Certifications. Ecotourism Australia’s certification programs, including the new Sustainable Tourism Certification, are acknowledged and recognised globally. We have a consumer-facing website that features every Sustainable Tourism Certified operator, ECO certified operator, and certified ECO certified Destination in Australia: https://greentravelguide.org
The ECO Destination Certification was developed by Ecotourism Australia using the international Green Destinations standard. The Certification assesses a region across the four pillars of sustainability and the destination must pass an on-site audit conducted by a third-party auditor before Certification can be granted.
In late 2022, a new Sustainable Tourism program was launched including a pre-certification benchmarking tool in the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard with founding partner Tourism Australia 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 impact.
Ecotourism Australia has global partnerships, working with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), 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).