Ecotourism is a recent phenomenon which is subject to multiple definitions and wide misapplication. Many have asked precisely what standards travel providers should be meeting in order to legitimately claim that they are offering a genuine ecotourism experience. Guidelines, codes of practice and accreditation systems for tourism operators have been developed in Australia and overseas. With respect to ecotourism operators these efforts have largely been fragmented and isolated.
This report represents an approach to resolve this problem by proposing a system of operator/provider accreditation in the ecotourism sector. Towards this attempt, ecotourism operators, conservationists, resource managers, government officers and members of the national community have been consulted and their views collated.The report provides a view on what standards should be observed by Australian ecotourism operators working in natural areas, who should monitor an accreditation system, what criteria should apply for accreditation and other questions.