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VisitCanberra has partnered with Ecotourism Australia, the peak body for sustainable and ecotourism in Australia, to grow and strengthen the nation capital’s sustainable tourism products and experiences.

The partnership will provide free access to Ecotourism Australia’s pre-certification Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard program for a number of eligible Canberra visitor economy businesses. This collaboration will deliver the necessary boost to sustainable tourism in the territory by supporting local operators to measure and improve their sustainability practices.

Canberra is home to many attractions including museums and galleries, as well as an abundance of nature tourism experiences. In the year ending June 2023, 5.5 million people visited the ACT, spending more than $3.4 billion in the region according to Tourism Research Australia.

Ecotourism Australia Chief Executive, Elissa Keenan shared “we are pleased to be working with VisitCanberra to kickstart operators’ sustainability journey with the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard and to strengthen sustainable tourism as a priority for the region.

“Increasingly, visitors are becoming more conscious about positive environmental, community and cultural impact and they wish to support the businesses that adopt the same principles.

“The collaboration between Ecotourism Australia and VisitCanberra will provide direct support to a significant proportion of local tourism businesses to learn more about sustainable tourism practices and the increasing expectations of travellers to seek sustainable options.

“There are so many wonderful tourism attractions and tours in our nation’s capital, complimented by a growing number of restaurants, cafes, breweries, and other businesses supporting the visitor economy as tourism to the ACT continues to grow. This is a great commitment by VisitCanberra to amplify the importance of sustainability and support their local businesses in this journey.”

The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard is powered by Ecotourism Australia with marketing support provided by Founding partner, Tourism Australia. It provides a simple and affordable entryway for any tourism business to begin their sustainability journey and is based on the four pillars of sustainability: sustainable management and environmental, socio-economic and cultural impacts.

With the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard, operators can get recognition for their current sustainability practices and receive valuable insights on how to improve with their own personalised feedback report. Operators can also demonstrate their sustainability performance to their guests with their scorecard.

VisitCanberra Executive Branch Manager, Jonathan Kobus added “there is an abundance of high-quality tourism businesses in the territory looking to begin their sustainability journey and demonstrate their good practices to guests.

“Our partnership with Ecotourism Australia is significant to develop, support and promote genuinely sustainable experiences in the ACT visitor economy.”

The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard is supported by additional partners nationwide including Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (Distribution partner), Big Red Group (Key Enablement partner), and Industry Partners the Caravan Industry Association of Australia and Accommodation Australia.

Tourism businesses in the ACT are now eligible to participate in the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard funded by VisitCanberra in partnership with Ecotourism Australia.

More information is available at www.ecotourism.org.au/strive-4-sustainability/ACT

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