Setting an International Precedent: Ecotourism in Australia

Ecotourism within Australia has become an important focus at the regional, state and national level. With ten listed world heritage sites, Australia is well placed in providing ecotourism experiences to visitors, both domestically and internationally. There are, however great challenges in balancing development pressures and conservation needs. Australia has been focusing on the natural environment and has a growing commitment to preserving a quality lifestyle for future generations as well as maintaining as much as possible of its biodiversity. It is now at the forefront of major progress in embracing Ecotourism as a sustainable future focus. Australia is one of few Federal governments with National Ecotourism policies and funding grants specifically oriented toward the development of ecotourism and maintenance of its principles. This paper addresses a number of these developments