Queensland Ecotourism Plan 2003-2008 - Tourism Queensland

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• becoming involved in ecotourism planning processes and activities; • encouraging ecotourism operators to contribute positively to the local community; • developing ecotourism products and providing complementary services and facilities; • promoting their community and culture to visitors; • adopting and promoting ecological sustainability and environmental management practices; and, • assisting natural area managers to ensure that ecotourism projects achieve their objectives and benefit the local communities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Indigenous people can become involved in the development and promotion of the principles of ecotourism in a variety of ways. They may be involved as individuals or as communities and as owners/operators of their own ecotourism businesses. Indigenous people may be involved in advisory or management roles relating to both private and public lands and may enter into contractual or financial arrangements that might involve the sharing of their knowledge with the broader tourism industry in a way which respects their culture and their rights. Indigenous people can become involved in ecotourism by: • having management responsibility for areas used for ecotourism; 20 • increasing visitor/community awareness through ecotourism of the value and significance of natural areas and the relationship of indigenous people to their land; • promoting and encouraging the application of ecologically sustainable practices to visitors and within their own communities through ecotourism; • establishing and operating ecotourism businesses; • working in partnership with the ecotourism industry to enhance the capabilities of indigenous people to be involved in and benefit from tourism; and, • providing assistance to and working in partnership with the ecotourism industry and government agencies on how areas of natural and cultural significance may be incorporated into ecotourism activities. Outdoor recreation groups Outdoor recreation stakeholders include formal associations, interest groups and independent participants. Outdoor recreation groups and individuals often utilise the same sites in natural and protected areas as the ecotourism industry, and many ecotourism activities simply involve a commercial operator leading a group of clients in outdoor recreation activities. As a result, the ecotourism industry and the outdoor recreation community have many potential opportunities to cooperate. There is, however, also potential for conflict between ecotourism operators and outdoor recreation stakeholders through competition for access to sites. Outdoor recreation group responsibilities, in relation to the ecotourism industry, include: • working with the ecotourism industry to establish appropriate management regimes for sites used by both the ecotourism industry and recreation groups; • working together with the ecotourism industry to develop an understanding of impacts of outdoor recreation and ecotourism activities on natural and protected areas; • adhering to agreed codes of conduct and minimal impact practices that apply to ecotourism operations and recreationists; and,
• contributing to protected and natural area management equally with the ecotourism industry. Educational and research institutions Educational institutions such as universities, TAFE colleges, schools and tourism training organisations and specialist research organisations such as the Cooperative Research Centres for Tourism, Reef and Rainforest can make positive contributions to the ecotourism industry by ensuring appropriate training, education and research opportunities are available. Educational and research institutions can make important contributions to ecotourism by: • becoming involved in the planning, development and management of ecotourism activities; • ensuring a highly skilled workforce is available to the industry as a result of high quality training; • providing appropriate environmental education and interpretive education programs; • identifying and promoting best practice standards; and, • undertaking research that is industry relevant and addresses contemporary ecotourism issues and which will assist industry and other stakeholders to ensure the development of a sustainable ecotourism industry. Other special interest groups Other special interest groups that could support and contribute to the development of a sustainable ecotourism industry include: • Ecotourism Australia – the peak national body for Australia’s ecotourism industry which, in addition to operating the Nature and Ecotourism Accreditation Program, has the role to expand, consolidate and promote ecotourism to become more sustainable; 21 • Queensland Tourism Industry Council – the state peak body for representing the interests of the tourism industry to governments, other industries and the wider community; • Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators – the state peak marine tourism advisory body representing the interests of marine tourism operators with a particular focus on the Great Barrier Reef; • Savannah Guides Ltd – a network of professional tour guides with a collective in-depth knowledge of the natural and cultural assets found in the tropical savannahs of North Queensland, the Northern Territory and the Kimberley region of Western Australia; and, • Green Globe 21 Asia Pacific – a global environmental certification program for the travel and tourism industry, based on the Agenda 21 principles for sustainable development endorsed at the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro.
Page 1 and 2: QUEENSLAND Ecotourism PLAN 2003-200
Page 3 and 4: minister’s FOREWORD Queensland is
Page 5 and 6: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Queensland is a w
Page 7 and 8: Taking ecotourism forward in Queens
Page 9 and 10: PREFACE Purpose of the Queensland E
Page 11 and 12: Ecotourism is a major part of Queen
Page 13 and 14: Ecotourism - the industry The 1997
Page 15 and 16: The Bureau of Tourism Research Inte
Page 17 and 18: The broader tourism industry has an
Page 19: Natural area managers ‘Natural ar
Page 23 and 24: Key Objective One: Environmental Pr
Page 25 and 26: Key Objective Three: Infrastructure
Page 27 and 28: Key Objective Five: Research Key Ob
Page 29 and 30: Ecologically Sustainable Developmen
Page 31 and 32: can be achieved - direct contributi
Page 33 and 34: At the time of writing, Queensland
Page 35 and 36: Appendix 2 Managing Tourism in Prot
Page 37 and 38: Table A2.1: Biogeographic Regions o
Page 39 and 40: Appendix 4 ECOTOURISM AND THE QUEEN
Page 41 and 42: Key Objective Two: Ecotourism Indus
Page 43 and 44: Appendix 6 REFERENCES AND CONTACT D
Page 45 and 46: Other Resources • Blamey, R. K. (
Page 48: 48 For further information contact

Queensland Ecotourism Plan 2003-2008 - Tourism Queensland

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