Queensland Ecotourism Plan 2003-2008 - Tourism Queensland

At the time of writing, Queensland has over 50 per cent of Australia’s NEAP accredited
products. This is a product of not only Queensland’s competitive advantage as an ecotourism
destination but also a range of Tourism Queensland initiatives implemented between 1997 and
2002 aimed at generating awareness of NEAP at both consumer and industry levels, including:
• product features in industry newsletters;
• journalist programs featuring accredited Queensland product in print and television media;
• product listings in domestic retail and international trade brochures (Sunlover Holidays and
International Travel Planner);
• regional workshops promoting NEAP;
• corporate promotional material (i.e. stickers, posters and note pads);
• financial support for NEAP expansion and auditing program;
• industry and consumer market research;
• product listings in the Queensland Ecotourism Product CD; and,
• a full colour brochure profiling accredited operators in Queensland.
Green Globe 21 Asia Pacific
Green Globe 21 Asia Pacific is a global environmental certification program for the travel and
tourism industry. It is based on the Agenda 21 principles for sustainable development that
were endorsed by 182 Heads of State at the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio De
Janeiro. The Green Globe Program encourages travel and tourism operations, companies,
communities and protected areas to make a commitment to improving their environmental
performance across a range of indicators. This provides consumers with an assurance that
Green Globe companies and communities are committed to a better travel and tourism future.
The Green Globe process involves achieving a benchmarked baseline standard of
environmentally and socially sustainable performance by achieving the following levels:
Affiliate, Benchmarked and Certified. Sectors of the tourism industry covered by Green Globe
include airlines, airports, caravan parks, car hire, convention centre, cruise boat, exhibition
halls, golf courses, hotels, marinas, railways, restaurants, tour operators, vineyards, and
destinations including communities and protected areas.
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Savannah Guides Ltd
The Savannah Guides are 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. Savannah
Guide sites and stations have been developed by private enterprises at natural and cultural
features, while Savannah Guide operators and master operators conduct interpretive tours
throughout the region. Savannah Guides Ltd was established as a non-profit company in 1988
to provide access for tourists to unique natural features on private, leased or public property in
a manner that protected the region’s assets. The Savannah Guides have received global
recognition through the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Awards and world-renowned
conservationist Professor David Bellamy.
EcoGuide Program
The EcoGuide Program is a voluntary, industry driven and run certification program for guides
working in the nature and ecotourism sector of the Australian tourism industry. It was
developed in 2000 by a range of stakeholders including the tourism industry, government
bodies, protected area managers, training providers, guides and Ecotourism Australia. The