Ecotourism Australia’s Annual Membership Survey
Ecotourism Australia conducted a membership survey in early September with the purpose to gain a better understanding of how our certified operators value their membership with us.
The survey included questions that touched on business practices and future outlooks, opinions on partnerships and activities, benefits offered through our membership and Ecotourism Australia’s level of involvement and areas for improvement.
Key findings have shown:
- 95% of our members are satisfied with their membership
- 4 in 5 have a positive outlook on Australia's ecotourism industry over the next 12 months
- 78% found their business performed better that expected in the past year
- 69% operate in a protected area
- Our members would like EA's support with issues regarding digital connectivity, strategic destination planning and conservation
- 86% found their certification provided benefits for their licence, permit or lease to operate in Protected Areas
Feedback from the participants also showed some areas for Ecotourism Australia to improve, such as:
- Marketing of small businesses
- Stronger brand recognition
- Stronger advocacy
- Promote ecotourism to the public
- More help and assistance
"Being part of the EA, people can see that we too want to help look after the environment to the best of our ability" – Member of Ecotourism Australia
All feedback received through the survey process is valuable to us as it helps us understand our members’ expectations regarding our practices and certification programs, providing us with further direction for improving and expanding our services.
We would once again like to thank all participants who completed the survey, much appreciated!
This year, thanks to our friends at Mt Barney Lodge, we offered a prize for one lucky member who completed the survey. We are happy to announce the winner, Ocean Rafting, as the lucky winner of the prize - a midweek holiday for up to four people (value $720) at Mt Barney Lodge, one of our outstanding certified accommodations!
Picture references:
http://www.leicestershospitals.nhs.uk/members/survey/
http://mtbarneylodge.com.au/