Gold Coast announced as host of the 2026 Global Sustainable Tourism Summit
Ecotourism Australia is delighted to announce the return of highly successful Global Sustainable Tourism Summit, with the Gold Coast named the official host destination for 2026.
Supported by Tourism Australia and proudly hosted by the City of Gold Coast, the Global Sustainable Tourism Summit will take place between Tuesday 2 – Friday 5 June 2026. The Summit will bring together sustainability changemakers and innovators to explore how the Australian visitor economy can better champion the four pillars of sustainability through driving positive environmental outcomes, protecting and celebrating culture, creating meaningful socio-economic benefits, and building resilient, future-focused businesses.
“As the peak body for eco and sustainable tourism in the Australia and Pacific region, we are proud to again host the Global Sustainable Tourism Summit. This event is a significant opportunity for our industry to learn, share and be inspired to create change and ensure that tourism is a catalyst for positive change,” said Elissa Keenan, CEO of Ecotourism Australia.
“The Summit will unite our industry to learn, exchange ideas, and inspire action. Guided by expert voices from across Australia and the world, participants will discover how global best practice can shape the future of Australian tourism.
“Together, we’ll ensure we continue to meet global travel demand while setting the standard for sustainability and innovation. We’re so pleased to bring the Summit to the Gold Coast in 2026 – a region that has an increasing focus on developing ecotourism and nature-positive tourism experiences.”
The Gold Coast is home to a high number of Ecotourism Australia-certified operators, with over 30 ECO and Sustainable Tourism Certified businesses located in the region. Further supporting this growth, the City of Gold Coast’s nature-based tourism grant program is helping more businesses realise their sustainability goals, whether by creating low-impact, immersive experiences that promote environmental and cultural conservation, or through pursuing global best practice certification with Ecotourism Australia.
“It’s fitting the Gold Coast has been chosen as host of this international conference,” said Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate.
“The conference’s four pillars align with work that council and private enterprise is currently undertaking to improve not only sustainability outcomes but to better support and promote cultural awareness within the industry.
“Through partnerships, we can learn so much more and I look forward to welcoming all delegates to our city in 2026.”
The Global Sustainable Tourism Summit will be hosted at the Mercure Gold Coast Resort, a Sustainable Tourism Certified hotel since 2024. The Mercure was chosen as a shining example of a venue that has made significant steps to reduce their environmental footprint, including by installing over 200 solar panels, hosting on-site worm farms to produce compost for their gardens and a ‘Bee Native’ project that sees on-site bee hives placed around the property to encourage pollination and support biodiversity. The Mercure has eliminated single-use plastics and created a ‘Clean for Green’ program whereby guests who opt out of having their linens replaced each day received a food and beverage credit.
The Summit stands as a flagship event on the international sustainable tourism calendar, creating a dynamic platform for delegates to connect, share knowledge and collaborate on the most pressing sustainability issues facing the tourism sector. The program for the Summit will span three days, including 1.5 day conference, two social functions, and an optional destination immersion program. Early bird tickets for the Global Sustainable Tourism Summit 2026 are on sale now, with significant discounts for Ecotourism Australia members.
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Media contacts:
Ecotourism Australia – Myv Costelloe, Stakeholder Engagement Manager
e: myv@ecotourism.org.au
ph: (07) 3256 6777
City of Gold Coast – Mayor’s Media Team
e: mayormedia@goldcoast.qld.gov.au
ph: 0439 226 509
About Ecotourism Australia
Ecotourism Australia is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation, established in 1991, that promotes and supports Australia’s visitor economy through building capacity and actively promoting sustainable tourism operations and systems. Our legacy program – ECO Certification – was the world’s first national ecotourism certification program and the Sustainable Tourism Certification, launched in 2022 supports non-nature based businesses achieve global best-practice. Today there are some 2300 accommodation, tours and attractions certified by Ecotourism Australia. Ecotourism Australia is also a founding member of the Tourism Sustainability Certifications Alliance (TSCA), a global association for sustainable tourism established in January 2025. TSCA members are responsible for certifying more than 19,000 travel and tourism enterprises, organisations, and destinations across the globe – representing the largest cohort of certified operators worldwide.