Tour Gold Coast
Advanced Ecotourism, Climate Action Business & ROC | Certified since 1997
EA: Twenty years is a long time. What is something you’ve learnt over the years that you wish you had known 20 years ago?
TGC: These days there is constant pressure to change and improve. Change is not always for the better, our tour has remained the same for 30 years and still produces happy customers daily. Creating stability and high quality experiences is a foundation of long term success in tourism.
EA: What piece of advice would you give to operators entering the ecotourism market today?
TGC: Spend time planning your product, have integrity and remain highly principled about the core values of ecotourism, find the right business formulae to deliver exceptional holiday experiences, listen to customers especially when the product is right, be agile but confident in your business management.
EA: What importance do you place in your ECO Certification?
TGC: Eco Certification is critical to our business, it provides commercial operators in protected areas a set of guidelines and rules that sets a high standard for not only us but also our competitors, ensuring that tour product quality remains high, this benefits the destination also. It also supports our relationship with regulators enabling them to better assess our capability to present environmentally and culturally sensitive ares to the wider community in a commercial setting.