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Hidden Valley Cabins are officially the first 100% carbon neutral “ecolodge” in Queensland, Australia, serving as a role model for the tourism industry in their commitment to environmental improvement for over 20 years.

Twenty two years in the making, the country’s first carbon neutral resort and tour business, Hidden Valley Cabins, has recently earned an “Advanced Ecotourism Certification,” from Ecotourism Australia, the national body for Australia’s ecotourism industry.

Visitors to Hidden Valley’s aptly named “Solar Eco Cabins and Interpretive Center” are treated to awe-inspiring nature tours in the spectacular and pristine natural environment, while learning “hands-on” the methods in which solar power technology is utilized at the resort.

“Hidden Valley is not on grid power and, over the years, we have developed ways to decrease our reliance on generator power while making sure our guests enjoy all the comfort and facilities they need,” said Ross McLennan, Hidden Valley Cabins’ operations manager. “Now, we are generating all of our own renewable energy and have saved 78 ton of CO2 emissions per year. For the carbon emissions we cannot yet eradicate—such as those of deliveries to the resort and tour buses—we are buying carbon offsets.”

Reducing emissions as a model of responsibility

Stephen Pahl, CEO of Ecotourism Australia, believes other businesses within the tourism industry should follow the example set by Hidden Valley Cabins.

“Ecotourism Australia’s world-leading ecotourism accreditation system has been challenging our industry to achieve measurable environmental results since it began 11 years ago and the ecotourism industry now has an important role in showcasing its solutions to the broader community,” Pahl said. “We congratulate Hidden Valley Cabins on their achievement and on opening a window for others to see how it’s done.”

Going green in the Land Down Under

Nonprofit Ecotourism Australia is the main national body for the ecotourism industry in Australia; promoting ecotourism and helping tourism operators and other vendors become environmentally sustainable, economically viable and socially and culturally responsible.

The nonprofit’s certification program provides monitoring and auditing of ecotourism claims while providing travel agents and tourists with an assurance of best practice ecological sustainability, natural area management and quality ecotourism experiences.

“I urge anyone responsible for a business to combine an unforgettable few days at this magnificent Queensland destination with a fact-finding mission to see how renewable energy can power all the essentials for comfort,” continued Pahl.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 6:56 pm and is filed under Travel Tour Guides. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.