THE TWEED'S VISITOR CENTRES PAVING THE WAY TO A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
As part of the Tweed Tourism Company’s commitment to proactive sustainability actions for the region, the Tweed’s three Visitor Information Centres (VICs), based in Tweed Heads, Kingscliff and Murwillumbah, are participating in the globally recognised EarthCheck Evaluate program.
EarthCheck Evaluate is a world-leading benchmarking program that recognises organisations engaged in sustainable practices and guides them in better managing and tracking their economic, social and environmental impacts.
Developed by global sustainability leaders, the Brisbane-based consultancy EarthCheck, the program uses internationally recognised criteria to provide an in-depth analysis of business practices, waste management and energy usage, with the overall aim to reduce resource consumption as well as operating costs.
Tweed Tourism Company General Manager Bradley Nardi said the program was just one component of a broader partnership with EarthCheck aimed at enhancing tourism’s contribution to the holistic wellbeing of the Tweed region.
“We’re proud to have our three Tweed Visitor Information Centres recognised in this program which is all about taking practical steps to better care for people, place, culture and nature.”
“As the welcoming face of tourism in the Tweed region, our VIC staff assist thousands of visitors each year, so we felt this would be the best place to start in setting benchmarks to measure our positive actions and operational impacts.”
“We are tracking the VICs waste management, emissions levels and water and energy consumption and tracking these annually against other like destinations, celebrating achievements and motivating improvement.”
Participating organisations in EarthCheck Evaluation complete a strict performance checklist and are assessed annually against global benchmarks, with achievement levels recognised via an Earth Rating score.
“Tourism is a major part of the Tweed’s current and future business profile and it’s important to measure not just our marketing outcomes but also how we are contributing to the overall health of the region.”
“Our partnership with EarthCheck, which includes this EarthCheck Evaluate program, the Sustainable Tweed initiative (in partnership with Tweed Shire Council) and a Nature-based Tourism Strategy and Action Plan, are all aimed at safeguarding a sustainable future for tourism in the Tweed.”
With the support of Tweed Shire Council, the EarthCheck Evaluate program is also available to a limited number of Tweed businesses with the first year of engagement and benchmarking financially covered. Spaces are still available and interested tourism businesses are encouraged to contact The Tweed Tourism Company for more information via info@thetweed.com.au
To learn more about EarthCheck’s credentials and projects go to earthcheck.org.
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