AUSTRALIAN ECO TOURISM

These days, Australian officials want to increase development of nature-based tourism. Further investments in this segment of tourism industry are needed. TTF Australia (Tourism and Transport Forum) managing director Christopher Brown claims that investments in this growing tourism market could provide a new source of revenue for park conservation and research activities. "We need to forge a new partnership between the tourism industry, tourism authorities, park managers and the conservation sector," Christopher Brown said. He thinks that such a partnership could reduce bureaucratic procedures and encourage investment in better facilities and new visitor experiences. "We can make better use of the private sector to provide non-core services in parks, freeing up park staff to focus on conservation activities," he said. The nature-based tourists are important for the industry as they tend to stay longer and they spend more. Tourism Minister Fran Bailey claims that in 2006 there were 28.4 million nature-based tourism visits in Australia. However, the plans to cooperate with private businesses raise emotions. "This plan is so they can legislate to build resorts in national parks. Talk about greenhouse emissions is gloss. The plan is a sugar-coated pill. It is worrying," Keith Muir, from Colong Foundation for Wilderness said. There is also a controversy caused by the effect of long haul flights. These flights are virtually the only mean how to get a tourist to Australia. The problem is that the jets produce high amount of carbon dioxide emissions which causes the global warming. The climate change then damages the nature the tourists came to see.