According to Ecotourism Australia CEO, Kym Cheatham, Australias tourism industry needs to paint itself a deeper shade of green and be more responsible. The industry has to do more, to protect its brand and reputation.

"Australia relies heavily on its natural environment, the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, kangaroos, sunshine and wide open spaces but we run the risk of failing to deliver on the promises we are making to our international markets," she said.

The comments come ahead of the Global Eco Asia Pacific Tourism Conference in Noosa from October 25-28, where Ms Cheatham said adapting to climate change will be high on the agenda.

The UN World Tourism Organisation has identified climate change as one of the five major threats facing the tourism industry, and Ms Cheatham has urged the Australian industry and government to get serious about protecting and promoting the importance of the environment, for a truly sustainable future.

"The industry is under enormous strain at the moment, with a range of factors including the high Australian dollar pushing many operators to the limit," she said.  "We are going to see a demand for ecotourism and nature-based experiences. Our product is not cheap, so it needs to be of the highest quality with the most credible ecotourism credentials; we cannot afford to compromise."

Ecotourism experiences are growing in Australia at about 20 per cent a year and Ecotourism Australia says the number of ECO certified products has doubled in the past three years.

Ms Cheatham said the tourism industry must find ways to protect the natural asset the tourism experience is built on, and provide travellers with guilt-free experiences.

Editors comments: Mrs Cheatham obviously hasn't visited Port Douglas recently or else she would know that we have a determined  group of Great Barrier Reef and Daintree River and Rainforest tour operators who are committed to exactly what she is taliing about.  In fact I would suggest she contact any of them to enlist their help and help ensure that it is this kind of support that the government tourism funds are directed towards rather than wasting it on wholesalers and travel agents whose influence on tourism supply is so minimal during these crisis times.