Eco-certified Tourism Destination Program
Supporting Queensland destinations to achieve globally recognised certification as a sustainable tourism destination.
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About the program
The $2 million Eco-certified Tourism Destination Program (the program) provides grant funding of up to $150,000 to Queensland local government authorities and regional and local tourism organisations to support our tourism destinations to achieve globally recognised certification through either:
- Ecotourism Australia - ECO Destination Certification program
- EarthCheck – Sustainable Destination Standard program.
The program is a key initiative in response to the Towards 2032: Reshaping Queensland’s visitor economy to welcome the world (PDF, 18.1MB) report, which identifies sustainability as a key catalyst for change, and forms part of the next long-term Towards Tourism 2032 strategy.
The program is designed to:
- position Queensland to become a leader in sustainable tourism
- leverage the growth potential in nature-based tourism experiences
- support the actions required to achieve a Climate Positive Olympics in 2032 and the target of net zero emissions by 2050.
Recipients
Through a competitive assessment process, 13 Destinations were awarded funding to support their certification.
| Recipient name | Destination | Certification program |
|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Economic Development Agency | Brisbane | EarthCheck Sustainable Destination Standard program |
| Bundaberg Regional Council | Bundaberg | Ecotourism Australia ECO Destination Certification program |
| Cassowary Coast Regional Council | Cassowary Coast | Ecotourism Australia ECO Destination Certification program |
| Etheridge Shire Council | Etheridge Shire | EarthCheck Sustainable Destination Standard program |
| Gladstone Area Promotion and Development Limited | Gladstone Region | Ecotourism Australia ECO Destination Certification program |
| Gympie Regional Council | Gympie Region | Ecotourism Australia ECO Destination Certification program |
| Livingstone Shire Council | Capricorn Coast | Ecotourism Australia ECO Destination Certification program |
| Moreton Bay Regional Council | Moreton Bay region | EarthCheck Sustainable Destination Standard program |
| Murweh Shire Council | Murweh Shire | EarthCheck Sustainable Destination Standard program |
| Noosa Shire Council | Noosa Shire | EarthCheck Sustainable Destination Standard program |
| Scenic Rim Regional Council | Scenic Rim | Ecotourism Australia ECO Destination Certification program |
| Townsville City Council | Townsville | Ecotourism Australia ECO Destination Certification program |
| Winton Shire Council | Winton | Ecotourism Australia ECO Destination Certification program |
Objectives
The objectives of the program are to:
- fast-track the certification for destinations already engaged in either of the two globally recognised certification programs
- support new destinations to join the certification programs and achieve certification
- support certified destinations to attain a higher level of certification
- build a network of globally recognised certified destinations throughout Queensland.
For grant recipients, funding will support them to achieve a level of destination certification that will:
- help deliver improvements to sustainable practises
- better position the destination as a sustainable, low carbon and climate resilient tourism destination
- enable them to be responsive to changing visitor needs and grow and adapt to future demand for high-quality nature-based tourism experiences.
Grant details
The Eco-certified Tourism Destination Program Guidelines (PDF, 1.4MB) contain detailed information regarding the grant funding program.
Applications have now closed and the Program is fully subscribed.
More information
Email GrowingTI@dtis.qld.gov.au
Last updated: 03 Nov 2022