Latest news and insights from various sources relating to UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our congratulations go out to Luxury Yachting on achieving Ecotourism Certification for their charter operations in the Whitsundays!
The Hamilton Island based tour operator offers individually tailored sailing adventures. The owners, Lynne and John Boyce, share their deep knowledge of the Whitsunday Islands and will offer you an unforgettable experience surrounded by Queensland’s most prestigious nature.
You will spend your time onboard the Sydney Sundancer, Lynne and John’s magnificent 60 foot ‘floating home,’ lazing away in the tropical sun with a freshly made fruit punch in hand. There is a massive deck area from which guests can enjoy beautiful sunsets and spectacular meals. For day trips, the yacht is licensed to carry up to 50 passengers, but for the liveaboard expeditions that Lynne and John offer on the Great Barrier Reef, they limit the overnight guests to either four guests for cabin bookings or maximum eight guests for private charters.
While John ensures the yacht runs smoothly through the water, Lynne will surprise you with her cuisine. Lynne is a master chef (she’s even published a cookbook in response to decades of requests from guests!) and prepared to cater to everybody on board with the freshest local produce, while including every special dietary requirement.
You can trust John and Lynne’s experience: John’s perfected his navigation skills over 30 years and Lynne is a Master Reef Guide with extensive knowledge of the area, so they’re able to show you the most beautiful beaches and hidden gems of the remote outer reef.
With sustainability high on the agenda, you’ll have access to reusable bags and water bottles on deck, and the Sydney Sundancer even has a SodaStream machine, so you don’t have to miss out on the little luxuries. The yacht sails, using wind power as nature intended, and renewable energy is used to power and run portable fridges and lights.
Depending on how much time you have to spend on your luxury yacht, you will be able to explore uninhabited islands, go snorkelling, enjoy some kayaking or even have the chance to see whales. John and Lynne will tell you stories about the magnificent marine life around you, and ensure you have a wonderful experience, no matter the occasion.
Once again, congratulations on this big achievement and welcome to Ecotourism Australia!
For further information, please visit their website.
The GSTC Destination v2 Criteria has been translated into French and is available to download in the Criteria Translations section. Les Critères pour les destinations v2 du GSTC sont traduits en français et peuvent être téléchargés dans la section traductions des critères.
The post GSTC Destination v2 Criteria – Now Available in French appeared first on Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
Pico Play brings half a century of expertise to creating themed experiences, providing clients with bespoke concept, designing and planning solutions for a wide range of themed attraction and tourism and leisure destinations including theme parks, water parks, nature parks, aquariums, zoos, galleries and family entertainment centres.
Their talented team of attraction industry professionals provides the complete range of services for the planning, design and execution of project delivery.
The planning stage includes marketing studies, cost planning, economic planning, feasibility studies and intellectual property licensing agreements. The design stage focuses on master planning, concept design, storytelling and character design, design documentation and multimedia production. The execution involves strong project management, ride and show procurement, specialty themed fabrication, sculptures and props, themed signage, facades and show production.
Pico Play believe in the real magic of entertainment.
Their approach begins with creative and innovative visons, is driven by strong storytelling principles and robust technological integration enables them to provide memorable and engaging guest experiences. Pico Play work closely with clients to develop attractions and destinations that suit their unique environments and meet the demands of their target markets.
The strength of this global and award-winning company is inspired by the diversity of some 2,500 professionals working in 35 major cities worldwide and from the depth of understanding of different cultures and industry practices. Pico Play’s comprehensive services and unique talent for experiential design and storytelling have been keys to the success of major projects by world leading brands across cinema, television broadcasting and entertainment and animated TV series.
Pico recognises that ecotourism and wellness are growing categories, important for future tourism growth.
We are happy to welcome Pico Play to our Ecotourism Australia family as a Business Member.
For more information, visit the Pico Play website or check them out on LinkedIn.
Interested in becoming an Ecotourism Australia Business Member? Find out more here.
The sustainability successes continue for Ecotourism Australia’s first ECO certified destination, the Douglas Shire, who have just taken home the Communities and Culture Award at the Sustainable Destination Awards in Europe.
The accolade, which was announced overnight, recognises the Port Douglas and Daintree destination’s efforts in celebrating Indigenous experiences and creating local jobs through the Mossman Gorge Centre, an Ecotourism and Respecting our Culture certified business.
Tara Bennett, CEO of Tourism Port Douglas Daintree, said of the award: “We are delighted to see our destination celebrated on the global stage for its impressive achievements in sustainable tourism through collaboration and cultural sensitivity, as demonstrated by the Mossman Gorge Centre.
“I am very proud of the commitment that our private sector and local government make to sustainable tourism and I hope it inspires other destinations.”
Ecotourism Australia CEO Rod Hillman said, “Douglas Shire thoroughly deserves this international recognition of its sustainability efforts in an extremely competitive environment.”
The Sustainable Destination Awards, usually announced at ITB Berlin — the world’s largest travel trade show — are decided upon by a jury representing 12 international organisations.
The awards are dedicated to recognising innovation and good practices in tourism management by islands, towns, regions and whole countries.
Awards categories include Nature, Communities and Culture, Best of Africa, Best of the Americas, Best of Asia-Pacific and Best of Europe. The flagship award is the ITB Earth Award, recognising global leadership in combatting climate change and environmental degradation.
Douglas Shire was awarded ECO Destination certification at the 2019 Global Eco Conference in Cairns, becoming the world’s first destination certified through this certification program.
ENDS
For questions and comments, please contact Lina Cronin – Communications Manager
[email protected]; 07 3256 6422
Additional info
From 2016 to 2019, Calypso Star Charters, in South Australia’s Port Lincoln, was a carbon neutral tourism business. But when their carbon auditing and offsetting provider stopped offering carbon offset services in mid-2019, the company knew it was time to think outside the box.
With a clear personal investment in the local community – Calypso Star Charters is a family-run business – the idea arose to start a local environment fund. This fund would provide an opportunity for the company to invest the same amount as was previously put towards carbon offsetting schemes, many of them overseas, into local community projects instead.
“We didn’t know what to do, initially,” explained part-owner/operator Andrew Wright. “But then we thought, why aren’t we spending the money locally?”
From September 2019, the Calypso Star Charters Local Environment Fund has been receiving funds equal to the cost of former offsets (emissions are audited regularly, and the funds adjusted annually) and distribution has begun to local groups and projects that can demonstrate tangible environmental benefits.
Photo credit: Calypso Star Charters
One such project has been working with the local Lake Wangary Primary School and the Lower Eyre Coast Care Association to assist in revegetating Greenly Beach, 60km west of Port Lincoln. What began as a tree propagation day involving year 5, 6 and 7 students in 2019 will continue as a tree planting day in 2020, in line with World Environment Day.
Andrew said it’s been great seeing the younger generation actively engaged in environmental management programs and being able to pass on the importance of caring for nature.
A second project already completed thanks to the new fund is the installation of LED lighting at Port Lincoln’s local gymnastics club.
“My kids go to the club and I kept thinking – do these guys know how much money they could be saving if they switched to LED?” Andrew said. With the support of the South Australian RESS (Retailer Energy Efficient Scheme) and a $3,114 donation from the Calypso Star Charters Local Environment Fund, the change was made possible and it’s now anticipated the club could reduce its energy running costs for lighting by about 60%.
“That will save them about $4,000 a year,” Andrew explained.
Photo credit: Calypso Star Charters
So, what else is on the agenda for the Local Environment Fund?
Andrew told us that the it’s the newest project on the agenda that he’s most excited about: a composting solution that involves a former concrete mixer, a friend with a gardening business and leftover bait that previously got sent to landfill.
What will happen to the compost?
“Not sure yet – we’ll most likely sell it for beer money!” Andrew laughs.
One thing’s for sure – new ideas keep emerging from Calypso Star Charters, and with so many benefits flowing back into the local community, that’s definitely something we can all toast to.
For more news and updates on the Calypso Star Charters Local Environment Fund, visit the website.
When the Gospers Mountain bushfire threatened the Lithgow community in New South Wales in late October 2019, no one could have predicted the heartache that was still to come.
The mega fire, which is said to have started from a single ignition point, ended up decimating an area seven times the size of Singapore. It was the biggest forest fire from a single ignition point that Australia has ever experienced.
For Kristie Kearney, founder and owner of award-winning and Advanced Ecotourism certified local tourism business, Wolgan Valley Eco Tours, the fire’s impact was as direct as it was devastating.
Photo: NSW firefighter / Credit: John Spencer
“Our business was impacted massively by the Gospers Mountain Fire here in the Lithgow region,” she told us. “Our place of operation is in Wollemi and [the] Gardens of Stone National Park – both decimated by the fires.”
“To say we are heartbroken for a World Heritage area that has given us so much is an understatement,” said the business’ Facebook page in December.
Kristie said whilst thankfully her home and office survived, the severity of the fires and the resulting closure of the national parks have meant that Wolgan Valley Eco Tours has had to cease operations until these areas reopen, hopefully in June.
Photo: Beautiful Wolgan Valley, before the fires. / Credit: Wolgan Valley Eco Tours
“[The park closures are necessary] to allow for essential recovery of the fragile environment and to allow for repairs to trails and visitor facilities,” she explained.
Having gone through such an ideal with no immediate improvement in sight, one would think it would be tempting to wallow in despair. But Kristie’s courage – like that of many other tourism businesses impacted by bushfires and other emergencies all over Australia – shines through.
“[Going through these types of experiences] brings communities together through shared experiences. I’m incredibly proud of where I live and the community members that I call my neighbours and friends,” she noted.
“We just remind ourselves how incredibly lucky we are to have our family, our home and our community and that other areas and people have had to endure far worse than us. We can only begin to imagine their pain.”
Photo: Community coming together in the Lithgow region. / Credit: Wolgan Valley Eco Tours Facebook
Thankfully, recent rains are beginning to bring life back to the region.
“We are starting to see the bushland respond with epicormic growth on tree trunks, fern fronds re-sprouting and the valley’s iconic wildlife slowly recovering after such a traumatic ordeal,” Kristie said.
Kristie is also making the most of the down time to stop and reflect, looking at ways in which she can improve the business and coming up with new products and packages she can offer to visitors in the future.
Photo: Eastern Grey Kangaroos returning to the region. / Credit: Wolgan Valley Eco Tours Facebook
“[We’re thinking of] expanding to other areas of the Lithgow region,” she noted, and said the business might start offering products and packages that focus on iconic historical figures and key environmental events such as the naturalist Charles Darwin’s visit to the Lithgow region and National Bird Week activities in the Capertee Valley, which is an internationally recognised Important Bird Area (IBA).
Kristie also encouraged visitors to keep coming to the region even as it recovers:
“There are plenty of attractions and places to eat and stay that have not been impacted by the fires and are open for business. However, we do ask that visitors respect national park and state forest closures and allow our fragile World Heritage area time to recover.”
Photo: New growth. / Credit: Wolgan Valley Eco Tours Facebook.
For someone who has experienced the devastation of Australia’s latest bushfire season firsthand and who is now unable to operate her own business, Kristie’s focus on lifting up her neighbours and putting the recovery of nature first are admirable.
Keep up the great work, Wolgan Valley Eco Tours, and thanks for showing true leadership in adversity.
More information: