Keeping up with the growing trend of sustainable tourism, VisitCanberra has recently teamed up with Ecotourism Australia, the leading authority on ecotourism in Australia. The partnership aims to nurture and amplify the capital city’s green tourism products and experiences.
Ecotourism Australia’s CEO, Ms Elissa Keenan, expressed her excitement about joining forces with VisitCanberra. She mentioned the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard, an initiative that’s set to help tourism operators embark on their sustainability voyage. Keenan emphasized the increasing consciousness of visitors towards environmental, cultural, and community impact, and their desire to support businesses that share these values.
Indeed, this collaboration will enable a sizeable proportion of local tourism businesses to delve deeper into sustainable practices. It will also allow them to keep up with the changing preferences of travellers who are inclined towards eco-friendly alternatives.
Our nation’s capital is teeming with fantastic tourism attractions and experiences. Add to it a burgeoning list of restaurants, cafes, breweries, and other businesses that are playing their part in boosting the visitor economy. As tourism thrives in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), this commitment by VisitCanberra to champion sustainability is indeed commendable.
The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard initiative is guided by Ecotourism Australia and backed by Tourism Australia for marketing. It offers a straightforward and economical starting point for any tourism business eager to set foot on the path of sustainability. The scorecard operates on four key pillars: sustainable management, environmental impacts, socio-economical impacts, and cultural impacts.
With this scorecard in hand, operators can earn recognition for their current sustainable practices while also gaining valuable insights on improving these through personalised feedback reports. It gives them a chance to showcase their sustainable performance to guests as well.
According to Jonathan Kobus, Executive Branch Manager at VisitCanberra, there’s a wealth of premium quality tourism businesses in the territory poised to embark on their sustainability journey. He said that the partnership with Ecotourism Australia is crucial in creating, supporting, and promoting truly sustainable experiences within the ACT’s visitor economy.
The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard has garnered support from several other partners across the nation, including the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse, Big Red Group, and industry partners like the Caravan Industry Association of Australia and Accommodation Australia.
Tourism businesses in the ACT can now avail themselves of the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard funded by VisitCanberra in collaboration with Ecotourism Australia.