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Congratulations to Yarra River Cruises for achieving ECO Certification at the Ecotourism level.

Whether you’re local or visiting, there is no better way to see Melbourne than from the vantage of the Yarra River! Yarra River Cruises will take you on a one-hour sightseeing cruise with live commentary going upstream to Herring Island and downstream to Docklands and the Port of Melbourne. Customers can also book a two-hour cruise incorporating both cruises. Guests learn about the Melbourne’s sights, the history of the city as well as the river system.

Established in 1987, Yarra River Cruises (formerly City River Cruises) offers sightseeing and function cruises through Melbourne’s beautiful parks, gardens, ports and Docklands aboard their corporate cruiser Melba Star.

Accommodating between 20 to 160 passengers, Yarra River Cruises caters for corporate events, river transfers, weddings, Christmas functions, educational school excursions, daily sightseeing cruises and many more. Yarra River Cruises also offers charters to major sporting events, including the Spring Racing Carnival, AFL football events, and to Rod Laver Arena.

Yarra River Cruises aims to continually reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the sustainability of its operations. The team educates tourists traveling aboard its vessels to enhance their knowledge in environmental sustainability and develop an appreciation for the environment, the Yarra River and surrounding ecosystems. Whilst the managing team is committed to recycle, save water and reduce energy consumption, environmentally conscious guides advise patrons on the importance of clean river systems before every departure. Moreover, the team promotes the use of Parks Victoria’s litter traps to further consolidate the importance of clean rivers and to prevent rubbish entering the oceans.

Congratulations again to Yarra River Cruises for achieving Ecotourism Certification!

For more information please visit their website and Facebook page.

With a landmass of more than 7.6 million square kilometres, Australia is the planet’s sixth largest country and therefore has a great variety of landscapes to explore. The country’s vastness also means that travelling to the next destination can mean we have to spend quite a bit of time on the road.

But driving long distances can be great fun and there are unique experiences out there just waiting to be discovered, which can make these driving adventures even more memorable and special. If you decide to take a long drive for your next holiday, stopping off at some new spots will add more diversity to your vacation and will give a better understanding of and appreciation for the land you are driving through.

Photo: Earth Sanctuary World Nature Centre / Facebook

For example, 15 minutes south of Alice Springs you’ll find Advanced Ecotourism and ROC certified Earth Sanctuary World Nature Centre. The family business, set on a 100-acre protected area wilderness reserve, is focused on ecology and sustainability and offers one of the most magical sky observation programs in the world.

Photo: Innamincka Hotel / Facebook

If you’re in South Australia and driving north, another great example of an experience you can’t have anywhere else is playing mini golf in the outback at Ecotourism certified Innamincka Hotel before sitting down to enjoy a moonlit cinema experience or karaoke night.

You can see the desert come alive at Advanced Ecotourism and ROC certified Alice Springs Desert Park and hear the stories of plants, animals, and local Aboriginal culture at daily guide presentations.

Photo: Alice Springs Desert Park / Facebook

In Western Australia, north of Carnarvon, sits Nature Tourism certified Gnaraloo Station – a remote sheep station famous for its stunning coastline, wildlife, fishing, waves and wind. It seems like you can do it all here: swim, snorkel or dive on the Ningaloo Reef and walk and explore the area. After a day full of adventures relax at Gnaraloo Homestead and enjoy the amazing sunset.

Photo: Gnaraloo Station / Facebook

For more travel inspiration for your next Australian road trip adventure, check out our Green Travel Guide.

[Header image: Maui, Britz & Mighty Motorhomes & Campervans / Facebook]

Located on the world’s largest sand island is the newly certified operator Fraser Experience Tours. This Australian family-owned business has been offering guided tours for over 20 years and has just achieved Ecotourism Certification for its  1 Day Experience Tours, 1 Day Hummer Tour,  1 Day Fantastic Fraser Island Tour and Custom Tours.

At Fraser Experience Tours there is nothing that keeps you away from a true ECO adventure. The operator offers equal opportunities for all participants to see the very best of World Heritage listed Fraser Island, with customised and personal tours which be tailored to suit individual needs and all levels of abilities or disabilities.

Credit: Fraser Experience Tours

Join a group tour for a fun and affordable way to experience Fraser Island or enjoy the experience with your own individually planned itinerary. Either way, Fraser Experience Tours guarantees small group sizes and friendly and experienced guides. Guides are local residents who know the island intimately and offer extensive knowledge for your unforgettable adventure. Each of the guides has completed tourism industry courses, has years of experience driving on the unique island and is part of the Fraser Experience Tours family.

Credit: Fraser Experience Tours

Book a tour such as the Ecotourism certified “1 Day Hummer Tour” and treat yourself with the thrill of a hummer, plus pick up and drop off, transfers and fees and all catering throughout the day included. Fraser Experience Tours caters for vegetarians, allergies and other speciality dietary requirements. The tour operator has taken thousands of happy customers on once in a lifetime journeys around the tranquil locations and hidden treasures of beautiful Fraser Island.

Credit: Fraser Experience Tours

Fraser Experience Tours is committed to sustainable practices throughout the management of its business. The company has installed solar panels, trains its staff on eco-friendly driving techniques, collaborates with climate change conscious businesses and suppliers and purchases locally and in bulk wherever possible. The business’ emissions sources are identified and assessed and their carbon footprint is calculated and reported. Fraser Experience Tours also provides pre-tour information about dingo awareness and recognises the Butchalla People as the Traditional Owners of Kgari (Fraser Island).

Credit: Fraser Experience Tours

Once again, congratulations to Fraser Experience Tours for joining the EA family. If you would like more information, check out their website or Facebook page.

[Header image credit: Fraser Experience Tours]

A focus on sustainability is not new to Australia’s nature-based tourism sector, with almost half of Ecotourism Australia certified operators now certified for a decade or longer.

With a membership of close to 500 accommodations, tour companies and attractions around Australia, Ecotourism Australia CEO Rod Hillman says that the longevity of these tourism businesses – many of them small to medium sized enterprises and family businesses – is a testament to their focus on delivering high quality experiences for visitors:

“Ecotourism Australia members have all been certified through one of our programs – primarily ECO Certification – and the reality is businesses who choose ECO Certification survive and thrive when compared to other tourism businesses,” he says.

To achieve certification, a business needs to go through quite a rigorous process and meet a number of criteria not just around their environmental and community impacts but around their general business operations.

“A business can’t be called sustainable if it’s not financially sustainable,” Mr Hillman says, “and a part of the certification process is looking at the operator’s business plans, operational plans and risk management plans.

“An operator that has these kinds of documents in place is more likely to be prepared for unexpected events, like what we’ve seen recently, because they have already been forced to think about the ‘what ifs’ that inevitably are part of the tourism sector.”

Photo: Busselton Jetty

One of the businesses certified for ten years this year (and therefore given the title of Green Travel Leader) is multi-award winning Western Australian tourism icon, Busselton Jetty. Environmental Manager Sophie Teede says that being ECO certified has helped the business to look critically at its business model and plans in order to constantly improve its operations.

“Being an ECO certified operator has [also] given us the confidence to embrace the nature aspects of our business and encourage our visitors to enjoy our beautiful environment as it is. We have been able to confidently market aspects of our business that perhaps as locals are taken for granted and show them proudly to our visitors.”

This year, 31 Ecotourism Australia certified operators will be added as Green Travel Leaders, joining the 213 existing 10 year + members, while 10 more will be added to Ecotourism Australia’s Hall of Fame for being certified for 20 years.

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For questions and comments, please contact Lina Cronin – Communications Manager – 0422 325 488

Ecotourism Australia welcomes its newest Business Member, Insight Australia Travel. Insight Australia Travel is a Sydney-based, 100% Australian focussed, boutique style inbound tour operator that specialises in group travel, special interest groups and cruise ship excursions. 

Established in 2002, Insight Australia Travel has great experience in successfully handling groups of all sizes, predominately from Western Hemisphere markets.

Credit: Insight Australia Travel

Each itinerary is tailored to the group’s specific requirements regarding interest, timing and budget. Furthermore, the itineraries incorporate the collective knowledge and experience of the Insight Australia Travel team. Groups are able to enjoy the must-see highlights as well as local insider insights. Insight Australia Travel tailors tours in all the major centres of Australia as well as all the more hidden gems, from Arnhemland to Bruny Island or Rottnest to Lord Howe.

Credit: Insight Australia Travel

Insight Australia Travel enjoys long-standing relationships with operators and suppliers across the country to ensure professional service delivery at a competitive rate. In addition, the experienced team is constantly sourcing new products and experiences to ensure each traveller has the opportunity to enjoy the best that Australia has to offer.

Insight Australia Travel is committed to sustainable tourism. The business aims to keep its environmental footprint small and uses tourism to help local communities and raise support for conservation.

Credit: Insight Australia Travel

The company is passionate about helping others to enjoy the things they treasure most. For this reason, the staff aim to tread lightly and leave a positive impact on people, places and the planet with everything they do, both in the office and on the road. For example, as a team, Insight Australia Travel aims to reduce the environmental footprint of its business operations by reducing, reusing and recycling at every opportunity. As a business, Insight Australia Travel has also eliminated single-use plastics from its operations and encourages its partners and suppliers to do the same.

For more information check out Insight Australia Travel’s website.

[Header image credit: Insight Australia Travel]