Tourism Australia is rolling out a new sustainability initiative, Green is Our Gold, to rally the Australian tourism industry around a shared promise to protect and strengthen Australia's natural environments, cultures and communities.

Australian tourism and business events organisations who get behind the Green and Gold Promise, are asked to commit to a shared industry vision and embrace five Principles which guide responsible visitor behaviours: Celebrate Community, Embrace Culture, Preserve Place, Respect Wildlife and Take Care.

Green is Our Gold responds to growing demand for tourism experiences that deliver positive social and environmental impact. 

Tourism Australia's Consumer Demand Project shows that sustainability is increasingly important to travellers, both in their everyday lives (77 per cent) and in the way they choose to travel (70 per cent).

There is also a continued demand for sustainable practices amongst business events decision makers, with three out of four incentive decision makers (76 per cent) ranking sustainability credentials as a significant driver of destination choice.

The initiative, recently unveiled at Tourism Australia's annual conference Destination Australia in Melbourne / Narrm with more than 800 tourism industry professionals in attendance, includes a suite of materials to support industry.

A new 90-second video, featuring industry representatives from Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, Sydney Opera House and Tasmanian Walking Company, who are already taking steps to make sustainability core to their businesses, premiered at the conference alongside the Green and Gold Promise and five Principles.

Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell said: “Australia is renown globally for our bushwalks, rainforests, beaches, unique wildlife, national parks and our beautiful natural scenery.”

“These offerings really are a driving force for tourists, and initiatives like this will ensure that visitors will be able to enjoy our world-class natural environments, communities and culture for generations to come.”

“Sustainable tourism is a huge opportunity for our industry, and I encourage the more than 360,000 tourism businesses across Australia to take part in this new Green is Our Gold Promise.”

Tourism Australia Managing Director Robin Mack said: “Australia has a strong track record of sustainable growth in tourism, and many businesses have already embraced sustainability - delivering world-class experiences that are sensitive to our natural environments, our cultures and our communities.

“Green is Our Gold has been created by Tourism Australia with significant industry engagement to recognise the strong foundations already in place and encourage further momentum for a collective commitment to responsible travel.

“Aligning our industry's sustainability vision with our message to travellers creates a powerful opportunity to strengthen Australia's global reputation as a leader in responsible travel and tourism.”

For more information visit tourism.australia.com/greenandgold