Bundaberg Region ECO Destination Certification

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The Bundaberg region is now certified through Ecotourism Australia’s world leading ecotourism certification program.

This means that when family, friends and travellers visit our region they know they are supporting a destination that is backed by a strong, well-managed commitment to sustainable practices and provides high-quality nature-based tourism experiences.

Our certification demonstrates our commitment to:

  • Looking after our natural environment
  • Offering quality interpretation and educating guests
  • Supporting and engaging our local community
  • Reducing our carbon footprint
  • Protecting our unique wildlife and endangered species
  • Making real contributions to conservation
  • Helping to preserve Australian Indigenous cultures
  • Providing an unforgettable, high-quality visitor experience

The Ecotourism Australia Certification programs are recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

Banksia Track Trail Head. Image: Nathan White & Bundaberg Tourism.

How can you contribute?

You can get involved by:

Embark on your pathway to sustainability and evaluate your business practices with the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard. The scorecard will support you to:

  • Learn how your business can positively impact people, the planet and culture.
  • Evaluate your current sustainability performance (in less than a day).
  • Receive personalised and practical insights for continuous improvement.
  • Clarify and simplify sustainability practices through a snapshot evaluation.
  • Showcase your commitment to visitors.

Visit Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard | Ecotourism Australia for more information.

  • Getting a Nature Tourism, Ecotourism or Advanced Ecotourism certification for your business. Visit https://www.ecotourism.org.au/our-certification-programs/ for more information.
  • Getting Climate Action Business, Climate Action Innovator or Climate Action Leader certification for your business. Visit https://www.ecotourism.org.au/our-certification-programs/eco-certification-2 for more information.
  • Swapping your plastic straws with Biopak Art Straws, free of charge, funded by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, here.
  • Developing your own sustainability plan
  • Choosing locally produced consumables
  • Saying no to plastic bags
  • Knowing your carbon emissions and work to reduce them
  • Sharing your sustainability measures with your customers
  • Reduce, reuse, recycle!

Dragonfruit Bowl, Windmill Cafe Bargara. Image: Bundaberg Tourism & Paul Beutel.

What do we hope to achieve?

  • To see our tourism industry, environment, culture and community flourish
  • To lead the way in adopting innovative practices to improve our environmental performance
  • To nurture and promote adopting sustainable practices into the home, at work and during leisure time
  • To inspire destinations in Australia and internationally to implement sustainable tourism practices

Lady Elliot Island. Image: Jeremy Somerville & Bundaberg Tourism.

How you can become ECO Certified

Bundaberg Regional Council is offering local tourism operators the opportunity to strengthen their appeal to high yielding, environmentally conscious visitor markets, by becoming ECO Certified through Ecotourism Australia by way of a cash subsidy to offset the first annual certification fee.

For more information please contact Kate Giles, Tourism Sustainability Officer or complete the ECO Certification – Expression of Interest form here.

How you can become Climate Action Certified

Bundaberg Regional Council is offering all sectors of the tourism industry the opportunity to become Climate Action Certified through Ecotourism Australia by way of a cash subsidy to offset the first annual certification fee. The Climate Action Certification program is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and assuring travellers that certified products are backed by a commitment to sustainable practices related to addressing climate change.

For more information please contact Kate Giles, Tourism Sustainability Officer or complete the ECO Certification – Expression of Interest form here.

How you can become Sustainable Tourism Certified

Bundaberg Regional Council is offering all sectors of the tourism industry and supply chain the opportunity to become Sustainable Tourism Certified through Ecotourism Australia by way of a cash subsidy to offset the first annual certification fee. The Sustainable Tourism Certification program certifies businesses that are minimising negative impacts and maximising benefits for the environment, communities and culture and is a comprehensive business development tool for all businesses to become sustainability leaders by following global best practice standards.

For more information please contact Kate Giles, Tourism Sustainability Officer or complete the ECO Certification – Expression of Interest form here.

Be part of the Turtle Awareness Campaign

Bundaberg Regional Council encourages everyone, including our visitors, to understand the significance of the Bundaberg Region’s shoreline as a nesting location for threatened turtle species.

Council has developed an easy to use video and turtle awareness materials that local businesses, tour operators and venues are encouraged to display in their businesses to urge residents and visitors to implement the small changes that can have a real impact on turtle hatchling survival rates. These include:

After 7:30pm between October and April help reduce the glow affecting our beaches by:

  • Switching off unnecessary lights
  • Closing curtains or blinds
  • When driving, avoiding using high beam near beaches where possible
  • Only using a small torch on the beach at night.

If you would like to learn more regarding Council’s Reducing Urban Glow Campaign please click this link.

If you are keen to display the turtle awareness campaign video or provide visitors with turtle awareness campaign materials please complete the expression of interest form to register your interest here.


If you have any queries regarding any of these campaigns, please contact Kate Giles, Tourism Sustainability Officer, Bundaberg Regional Council on 1300 883 699 or email kate.giles@bundaberg.qld.gov,au.


Banner photo: Location: Burrum Coast National Park, Bundaberg; Credit: Matt Williams and Bundaberg Tourism

The Bundaberg region is now certified through Ecotourism Australia’s world leading ecotourism certification program.

This means that when family, friends and travellers visit our region they know they are supporting a destination that is backed by a strong, well-managed commitment to sustainable practices and provides high-quality nature-based tourism experiences.

Our certification demonstrates our commitment to:

  • Looking after our natural environment
  • Offering quality interpretation and educating guests
  • Supporting and engaging our local community
  • Reducing our carbon footprint
  • Protecting our unique wildlife and endangered species
  • Making real contributions to conservation
  • Helping to preserve Australian Indigenous cultures
  • Providing an unforgettable, high-quality visitor experience

The Ecotourism Australia Certification programs are recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

Banksia Track Trail Head. Image: Nathan White & Bundaberg Tourism.

How can you contribute?

You can get involved by:

Embark on your pathway to sustainability and evaluate your business practices with the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard. The scorecard will support you to:

  • Learn how your business can positively impact people, the planet and culture.
  • Evaluate your current sustainability performance (in less than a day).
  • Receive personalised and practical insights for continuous improvement.
  • Clarify and simplify sustainability practices through a snapshot evaluation.
  • Showcase your commitment to visitors.

Visit Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard | Ecotourism Australia for more information.

  • Getting a Nature Tourism, Ecotourism or Advanced Ecotourism certification for your business. Visit https://www.ecotourism.org.au/our-certification-programs/ for more information.
  • Getting Climate Action Business, Climate Action Innovator or Climate Action Leader certification for your business. Visit https://www.ecotourism.org.au/our-certification-programs/eco-certification-2 for more information.
  • Swapping your plastic straws with Biopak Art Straws, free of charge, funded by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, here.
  • Developing your own sustainability plan
  • Choosing locally produced consumables
  • Saying no to plastic bags
  • Knowing your carbon emissions and work to reduce them
  • Sharing your sustainability measures with your customers
  • Reduce, reuse, recycle!

Dragonfruit Bowl, Windmill Cafe Bargara. Image: Bundaberg Tourism & Paul Beutel.

What do we hope to achieve?

  • To see our tourism industry, environment, culture and community flourish
  • To lead the way in adopting innovative practices to improve our environmental performance
  • To nurture and promote adopting sustainable practices into the home, at work and during leisure time
  • To inspire destinations in Australia and internationally to implement sustainable tourism practices

Lady Elliot Island. Image: Jeremy Somerville & Bundaberg Tourism.

How you can become ECO Certified

Bundaberg Regional Council is offering local tourism operators the opportunity to strengthen their appeal to high yielding, environmentally conscious visitor markets, by becoming ECO Certified through Ecotourism Australia by way of a cash subsidy to offset the first annual certification fee.

For more information please contact Kate Giles, Tourism Sustainability Officer or complete the ECO Certification – Expression of Interest form here.

How you can become Climate Action Certified

Bundaberg Regional Council is offering all sectors of the tourism industry the opportunity to become Climate Action Certified through Ecotourism Australia by way of a cash subsidy to offset the first annual certification fee. The Climate Action Certification program is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and assuring travellers that certified products are backed by a commitment to sustainable practices related to addressing climate change.

For more information please contact Kate Giles, Tourism Sustainability Officer or complete the ECO Certification – Expression of Interest form here.

How you can become Sustainable Tourism Certified

Bundaberg Regional Council is offering all sectors of the tourism industry and supply chain the opportunity to become Sustainable Tourism Certified through Ecotourism Australia by way of a cash subsidy to offset the first annual certification fee. The Sustainable Tourism Certification program certifies businesses that are minimising negative impacts and maximising benefits for the environment, communities and culture and is a comprehensive business development tool for all businesses to become sustainability leaders by following global best practice standards.

For more information please contact Kate Giles, Tourism Sustainability Officer or complete the ECO Certification – Expression of Interest form here.

Be part of the Turtle Awareness Campaign

Bundaberg Regional Council encourages everyone, including our visitors, to understand the significance of the Bundaberg Region’s shoreline as a nesting location for threatened turtle species.

Council has developed an easy to use video and turtle awareness materials that local businesses, tour operators and venues are encouraged to display in their businesses to urge residents and visitors to implement the small changes that can have a real impact on turtle hatchling survival rates. These include:

After 7:30pm between October and April help reduce the glow affecting our beaches by:

  • Switching off unnecessary lights
  • Closing curtains or blinds
  • When driving, avoiding using high beam near beaches where possible
  • Only using a small torch on the beach at night.

If you would like to learn more regarding Council’s Reducing Urban Glow Campaign please click this link.

If you are keen to display the turtle awareness campaign video or provide visitors with turtle awareness campaign materials please complete the expression of interest form to register your interest here.


If you have any queries regarding any of these campaigns, please contact Kate Giles, Tourism Sustainability Officer, Bundaberg Regional Council on 1300 883 699 or email kate.giles@bundaberg.qld.gov,au.


Banner photo: Location: Burrum Coast National Park, Bundaberg; Credit: Matt Williams and Bundaberg Tourism

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Page last updated: 20 Feb 2024, 12:52 PM