Ecologically sustainable tourism management

One of the primary challenges facing ecotourism management is to establish a profitable and ecologically sustainable industry, while simultaneously achieving a satisfying experience for visitors and raising standards of living in the host community. This paper analyses the management practices and challenges faced by two ecotourism attractions on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, namely Couran Cove Island Resort and Boondall Wetlands Reserve. As an ecotourism-based resort on one of the world's few naturally-occurring sand islands, Couran Cove is active in implementing a range of initiatives for sustainable environmental management. This is particularly important as Couran Cove is home to a wide variety of plant communities and one of the largest remnants of the rare Livistona rainforest on the Gold Coast. The Boondall Wetlands Reserve is internationally recognized as an important feeding and resting habitat for migratory wading birds from Alaska, China, Japan, Mongolia and Siberia. Through the activities of the Visitor Centre, the Boondall Wetlands Reserve aims to: (i) promote environmental awareness within the local and regional communities; (ii) provide community education and information about wetlands systems within the local, regional and global context; (iii) offer nature-based recreation and tourism services; and (iv) demonstrate how wetlands can diversify the tourism and ecotourism industries.