Ecotourism Australia has inducted six tourism operators into its Ecotourism Hall of Fame for 20 years of continuous ECO Certification as the organisation also marks 35 years of advancement in sustainable tourism.
Townsville City Council’s free Eco Catchment Tours, Heron Island Resort, APT Kimberley Wilderness Adventures, Odyssey Expeditions, Cape York Motorcycle Adventures and Explore Group Australia (formerly Explore Hamilton Island) are recognised for two decades of ECO Certification.
The 2026 Ecotourism Hall of Fame inductees represent some of Australia’s most remote areas and across varied activities, from the reef and rainforest of Queensland to 4WD and motorcycle adventures in the Far North.
They join 70 other operators already in the Ecotourism Hall of Fame, which is the highest honour Ecotourism Australia awards its certified members.
A further eight operators have been named Green Travel Leaders for reaching a decade of ECO Certification, giving travel advisors a fresh roster of independently verified products to put in front of sustainability-minded clients.
The newly minted Green Travel Leaders are Whitsunday Jetski Tours, Sunrover Tours, Pacific Whale Foundation Australia, Mungalla Station, Mandingalbay Authentic Indigenous Tours, Kangaroo Island Ocean Safari, Down Under Cruise & Dive and The Adventure Company, and Brisbane Whale Watching.
Lifetime Achievement Awards also went to Lady Elliot Island operator Peter Gash OAM and former Ecotourism Australia chair Dr Claire Ellis at the recent Global Sustainable Tourism Summit on the Gold Coast.
CEO Elissa Keenan said Ecotourism Australia developed the world’s first national ECO Certification program 30 years ago and the milestone year sits alongside the organisation’s 35th anniversary.
“Hall of Fame induction is the highest honour awarded to our certified operators. These six businesses have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to global best practice sustainability standards across two decades, and their ongoing innovation and leadership continues to set the benchmark for what world-class ecotourism looks like in Australia,” she said.
Why ECO Certification matters
For travel advisors, ECO Certification is an independent verification that answers whether a “sustainable” experience genuinely is one.
APT Travel Group Chief Product Officer Mladen Vukic said: “Being certified by Ecotourism Australia provides a strong mark of credibility, giving guests confidence that their journey is genuinely sustainable and independently verified.”
“For APT Travel Group’s Kimberley Wilderness Adventures, it creates a clear point of difference in a competitive market, helping attract environmentally conscious travellers and build trust with trade and industry partners.”
Cape York Motorcycle Adventures Director Renae Kunda said: “Reaching 20 years of certification reflects two decades of consistently backing up our values with action, caring for Country, operating responsibly, and proving that adventure tourism and sustainability can go hand in hand.”
All certified operators are featured on the Green Travel Guide, where advisors and travellers can book more than 2,700 certified sustainable experiences across Australia.
KARRYON UNPACKS: With clients increasingly interested in sustainable travel, a 20-year ECO Certification track record is a tangible reassurance. The Green Travel Guide also turns a list of more than 2,700 verified experiences into a ready-made shortlist for the sustainability-conscious traveller.
