Ecotourism and Tourism Summit (17 December 2020)

Coffs Harbour City Council recently hosted the Coffs Coast Ecotourism and Tourism Summit.

We welcomed more than 60 local operators, businesses and partners at the event which also kicked off the process for the Coffs Coast to become a certified ECO Destination.

The ECO Destination Certification program assures travellers that destinations are backed by a strong, well-managed commitment to sustainable practices and provide high-quality nature-based tourism experiences within the region.

Coffs Harbour City Council will receive support to take part in this program via a partnership between Ecotourism Australia and WWF-Australia, which are providing funding to assist bushfire-affected destinations to build back better and revitalise their local economies through nature-based tourism.

As the journey has now started to become a certified ECO Destination, the Summit provided a chance for EcoTourism Australia to share information about the certification, what it means for the region, local operators, businesses and organisations and how tourism businesses can benefit.

The summit also provided attendees with an opportunity to participate in Day Two of the long-established Eco Conference, beamed in from the Margaret River in WA. The Summit delivered information about ecotourism and sustainability practices, along with some tips and hints related to Covid-19 recovery.

The Coffs Coast is an authentic nature-based destination and by becoming an accredited ECO Destination we receive an internationally recognised stamp of approval.

I look forward to sharing more information with you about this journey early in the New Year.