The Daintree Discovery was inducted into Ecotourism Australia’s Hall of Fame last night, for being ECO certified for 20 years.

The awards were presented during the gala dinner of the Global Eco Asia Pacific Tourism Conference, held at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, north of Cairns.

The Daintree Discovery Centre, which celebrated 30 years this year, is an award-winning ecotourism attraction in the heart of the Daintree, providing visitors with an opportunity to view the rainforest from the forest floor all the way up to the upper most regions of the canopy.

Abi Ralph, manager of the Daintree Discovery Centre, said ecotourism and sustainability were at the core of the business.

“Everything we do at the Discovery Centre reinforces the need to preserve the Daintree Rainforest. We have elevated walkways designed to protect the fragile root systems, Interpretive displays that foster environmental sustainability and we model best practice in water conservation, waste management, recycling and eco-friendly design,” she said.

Induction into the Hall of Fame is an honour now bestowed upon 26 ecotourism businesses, the first of whom were entered into the Hall of Fame in 2018, 22 years after Ecotourism Australia’s certification program was fist launched as the National Ecotourism Accreditation Program (NEAP) – now ECO Certification.

Ecotourism Australia CEO Rod Hillman said that this year’s awardees were some of the leading ecotourism operators in the country, whose longevity and continued success in a rapidly changing industry was testament to their continued commitment to sustainable business practices and dedication to benefiting the communities and environments in which they operate.

“We are very proud to welcome these 12 operators into our Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame. They are our nation’s true ecotourism innovators, and their leadership has paved the way for more responsible and sustainable tourism as we experience it today,” he said.