As one of Australia’s major tourist attractions, the 2,300 kilometre Great Barrier Reef is under pressure from nearly two million visitors each year. These international and domestic tourists sail, dive, swim, snorkel and fish, potentially damaging the complex ecosystem that includes 260 species of hard coral, over 1,500 species of fish, 54% of the world’s mangrove diversity and six of the world’s seven species of marine turtle.
Securing permits The government’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) (1) requires all tourist operators and tourist facilities in the area (as well as non-tourist commercial operations) to have a permit, initially issued for one year and then extended for up to six years. The partnership between the park authority and Ecotourism Australia enables sustainable ecotourism operators, certified under the Eco Certification programme, to obtain 15-year permits to operate on the Great Barrier Reef.
Making everyone better off GBRMPA knows that it can rely on Ecotourism Australia’s objective certification system, which is a world leader in assessing environmental and social sustainability of tourism operations. The certified tour operators benefit from a secure permit, allowing them to make business plans for up to 15 years. Tourists benefit from a quality-controlled product and informed operators who appreciate the environment in which they operate. And of course the community and future generations benefit from a better controlled approach to tourism in this fragile World Heritage area. Ecotourism Australia proposes three levels of certification. All levels require the operators to demonstrate environmental sustainability and ethical operations. The two higher levels, ‘Ecotourism’ and ‘Advanced Ecotourism’, qualify operators for a long-term permit. They also require operators to provide interpretation and education, contribute to conservation, to work with local communities and to show cultural respect and sensitivity.
GBRMPA’s own Reef HQ (2), the National Education Centre for the Great Barrier Reef is Eco Certified at the ‘Ecotourism’ level. Reef HQ is the world’s largest living coral reef aquarium. The GBRMPA - Ecotourism Australia partnership, which has been in operation since 2004, has resulted in the issuing of 41 15-year permits to 29 tourist operators.
Stephen Pahl is Chief Executive Officer,
Ecotourism Australia.
Ecotourism Australia members include ecotourism accommodation, tour and attraction operators; tourism planners; protected area managers; academics and students; tourism, environmental, interpretation and training consultants; local and regional tourism associations and travellers.
(1)
Australian Governement - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (2)
reefHQ Aquarium