Tourism Noosa Sprouts A New Initiative
Congratulations! If you have run in the IRONMAN, sipped wine at Noosa Food and Wine or taken on the Noosa Triathlon, you have unintentionally helped bridge the gap between tourism and the environment.
Officials and media gathered to celebrate the launch of the Trees for Tourism Garden at the Nancy Cato Park – a fitting setting in honour of a women who fought hard to protect the natural environment of Noosa.
The Trees for Tourism Garden is in recognition of Trees for Tourism – an initiative of Tourism Noosa in conjunction with Noosa & District Landcare, supporting tree planting for land rehabilitation, carbon emission reduction and the protection and enhancement of koala habitat.
At the launch, a (environmentally-friendly) cheque for $13,151 was handed to Noosa & District Landcare general manager Phil Moran, comprising of monies raised from the Noosa Triathlon and the Noosa Food & Wine Festival as well as money donated from Tourism Noosa members and visitors.
Evert organisers of the Noosa Triathlon, IRONMAN and the Noosa Food & Wine Festival were the first two events to support Trees for Tourism and now all events sponsored by Tourism Noosa will provide $1 per participant to the program.
Tourism Noosa Environment and Sustainability Manager Juanita Bloomfield said Trees for Tourism was developed recognising the economic and social importance that events provide to the local community and Tourism Noosa’s desire to find a way for events to give back environmentally.
“Tourism Noosa members also generously give to the program via a gold coin and card donation at our monthly networking nights and visitors also have the opportunity of donating at the Visitor Information Centre,” Ms Bloomfield said.
Noosa District & Landcare General Manager Phil Moran praised the initiative.
“This outstanding initiative shows that tourism and the environment are not mutually exclusive. Noosa Landcare applauds the foresight of the tourism sector to tangibly contribute to improving our natural environment here in Noosa,” he said.
Noosa Mayor Tony Wellington was also at the launch and said the Trees for Tourism initiative was a wonderful addition to Noosa and is just “one piece of the puzzle” in offsetting the impact of tourism.
