Queensland Ecotourism Plan 2003-2008 - Tourism Queensland

APPENDICES
Appendix 1
Ecotourism Principles and
Best Practice
Ecological Sustainable Development and the Triple-Bottom-Line
Ecological Sustainable Development (ESD) is a concept that promotes using, conserving and
enhancing the community’s resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are
maintained and the total quality of life, now and in the future, can be increased. ESD requires
a commitment to ecological, economic and social/cultural sustainability – commonly referred to
as the ‘triple-bottom-line’.
30
Ecotourism is an industry recognised for its potential to lead in implementation of ESD
principles, and is seen as a role model for other sectors of the tourism industry as a leader in
ESD practices and ‘triple-bottom-line’ reporting. Triple bottom line reporting involves measuring
success of the business on ecological and social performance as well as the traditional measure
of success – economic performance. The 1997 Queensland Ecotourism Plan recognised that
while all tourism should be sustainable – ecologically, economically and socially, the ecotourism
sector has a particular role to play in ensuring ecological sustainability. Ecotourism operators
are recognised as leaders in the uptake of sustainable technologies and management systems,
leading the whole tourism industry and educating visitors at the same time.
The following sections outline the key principles of ecotourism, in particular the way that they
relate to ‘triple-bottom-line’ requirements. Ecological, social and economic sustainability are
addressed separately, however in reality the three elements are strongly interlinked. For
example, ecologically sustainable practices in waste minimisation can reduce operating costs,
resulting in a more profitable business that will have greater capacity to contribute to
conservation, provide stable employment opportunities and purchase more goods and services
from local suppliers.
Ecological sustainability
The challenge for Queensland’s ecotourism industry is to develop the State’s ecotourism
capacity and the quality of tourism products without adversely affecting the environment on
which it depends. This involves ensuring that the type, location and level of ecotourism use do
not harm Queensland’s natural areas and that management is adequate to sustain appropriate
levels of ecotourism.
Factors such as the type of ecosystem, tenure, visitation demands, existing infrastructure,
potential for additional visitor infrastructure and management styles, will all affect the
measures required to ensure ecological sustainability at ecotourism sites. Visitor management
through permit conditions and provision of infrastructure can assist with achieving ecological
sustainability, however in some instances limiting access to and use of sensitive environmental
areas for ecotourism (and other) activities may be necessary to avoid overuse and to preserve
diversity in Queensland’s biosystems.
In addition to contributing to ecological sustainability through minimal impact activities,
ecotourism is required to contribute actively to conservation. There are a variety of ways this