Sustainable Tourism Toolkit

Sustainability is essential to the future success of every tourism business. Being sustainable can benefit businesses in the visitor economy by:

• reducing costs and improving profitability
• protecting Australia’s natural and cultural assets by reducing carbon emissions
• making businesses more resilient as they adapt to climate change
• improving reputation and relationships with customers, staff, local communities and suppliers.

The Sustainable Tourism Toolkit has clear and simple advice to help tourism businesses become more sustainable. Nationally agreed, it is applicable for small to medium-sized tourism businesses across Australia. 

Key points

Tourism data shows that 74% of travellers are looking for more sustainable options (Source: Booking.com, Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report 2023). The Sustainable Tourism Toolkit helps small to medium-sized tourism businesses respond to this consumer demand. 

The toolkit is an easy-to-read guide about: 

• why businesses should embrace sustainability
• taking a managed approach to sustainability
• respecting culture
• creating positive social impact
• environmental and climate action in tourism
• promoting a business’s sustainability story.

The toolkit was produced by:

• Austrade in cooperation with Tourism Australia and all state and territory governments
• EarthCheck, a world-leading certification and advisory organisation for sustainable tourism.

The Australian Government, and state and territory governments participated through an Australian Standing Committee on Tourism (ASCOT) working group. Austrade leads ASCOT.

A simplified online version of the Sustainable Tourism Toolkit has also been produced in partnership with business.gov.au.

Learn more about the toolkit by watching videos of our sustainability training webinars (YouTube). 

Contact us

For more information about the National Sustainability Framework for the Visitor Economy, email visitoreconomy@austrade.gov.au.