The Midcoast Council said that the Barrington Coast region received through the Ecotourism Australia Eco -Zei -certification.
The Barrington Coast of international importance is the Myall Lakes.
The milestone makes the Barrington Coast the fifth destination in NSW and the 13th in Australia in order to obtain the respected recognition.
“We are incredible to welcome the Barrington Coast region as our latest certified eco -goal,” said Elissa Keenan, CEO of Ecotourism Australia,.
“This achievement under the direction of the wonderful team of the Midcoast Council shows the commitment of the region to stick to the best practice in global sustainable tourism. In addition to achieving the ECO target certification, the region has actively supported the local operators in order to achieve business certification or to complete our benchmarking tool before certification, the Scorecard Strive 4 sustainability, ”she said.
The support for the certification program was also provided by the Australian wildlife and nature recovery fund from WWF Australia. After black summer bushes, WWF Australia dealt with Ecotourism Australia to better recreate 11 regions affected by Bushfire through ecotourism.
“Our ECO certification certification with Ecotourism Australia underlines our persistent commitment and progress in the direction of a more sustainable tourism industry and at the same time creates more attractive experiences for locals and visitors,” said Mayor Claire Ponton.
The Council has implemented a wide range of sustainability initiatives, including the development of a climate business strategy to achieve Net -Null destinations by 2040, the installation of over 200 kW solar panels in 10 public buildings, the maintenance of workshops for water resilience and replace printed visitor information brochures by MRR -Codes that the QR codes you have replaces link to interactive online instructions.
The incumbent CEO of Destination NSW, Karen Jones, said: “Destination NSW congratulates Barrington Coast on the achievement of the ECO destination certification-one performance, which reflects the deep commitment of the region for sustainability in terms of ecological, cultural and socio-economic dimensions.
“Barrington Coast not only protects its extraordinary natural landscapes, but also strengthens the role of local companies in sustainable tourism.
“This milestone reinforces the position of the region as a first -class goal for natural -based experiences in NSW, and Destination NSW is proud to support its ongoing efforts to protect these assets for future generations.”
The ECO -target certification at the level of ecotourism evaluates a region over more than 90 criteria in eight sections, including target management, environment and climate, culture and tradition as well as social well -being. By reaching the ECO target certification, the Barrington Coast joins a growing network of certified destinations in NSW – Bellen Shire, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Coffs Harbor. Barrington Coast is also part of a respected group of 160 certified destinations worldwide.