Tourism

The marine tourism industry is a key partner in the protection and management of the Great Barrier Reef and help showcase the Reef’s natural values and amazing biodiversity.

The initiative aims to support frontline jobs in marine tourism while simultaneously helping conserve high-value tourism sites along the Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef is vulnerable to environmental incidents like oil spills and ship groundings. These incidents generate severe economic hardship for the industry.

The Strategy outlines how tourism on the Great Barrier Reef will be managed and how the Authority will support tourism whilst protecting the Reef in the future.

Choose a High Standard Tourism Operator (HSTO) who operates in an ecologically sustainable manner, delivering high quality reef experiences.

The Tourism Reef Advisory Committee provides advice to the Marine Park Authority Board on the management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Tourism and charter permissions may be granted for transport, accommodation or services for people who are visiting the Marine Park.

Tourism is the largest economic contributor to the Australian economy with reef-dependent activities in marine tourism supporting more than 60,000 jobs.

Special tourism permissions relate to capped tourism activities which allow operators to continue with activities outside of the Plans of Management or regulations.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have connections to sea country in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, tourism is the major economic activity in the Marine Park.