South Australia is launching a statewide program that will allow tourism businesses, event organisers and visitors to contribute to environmental restoration projects as part of their travel and tourism experiences.
Supported by the Malinauskas Government, the Travel for Nature program will enable participating operators and events to include a small contribution in their pricing, with funds directed towards projects focused on habitat, biodiversity and reef restoration across South Australia.
The program will begin with a pilot at Mark Oliphant Conservation Park in the Adelaide Hills, where funding will support habitat restoration for the nationally endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot and declining woodland bird species.
The pilot location was selected in consultation with tourism industry partners. The state government expects the program to expand to other parts of South Australia as more tourism operators and events join.
Travel for Nature is being delivered in partnership with Reforest. Participating businesses will have access to a digital dashboard showing information about the environmental project they are supporting, along with updates on its progress and impact. Operators can use the information across their websites and social media channels to explain how visitor contributions are being used.
The initiative comes as environmental concerns continue to influence travel decisions. Tourism Research Australia data cited by the South Australian Government indicates that 79 per cent of travellers are concerned about their environmental impact when travelling. Booking.com has separately reported that 85 per cent of travellers consider sustainable travel important, while 69 per cent want to leave the places they visit better than they found them.
Similar visitor contribution schemes have operated at a regional level elsewhere in Australia, but South Australia says Travel for Nature will be the first statewide program of its kind in the country.
Emily Bourke said the program would give visitors a clearer way to support environmental projects while travelling in the state.
“Following the harmful algal bloom and the arrival of bird flu, now more than ever, visitors to our state are looking for ways to give back to the environment and they want to support sustainable tourism,” she said.
Bourke said the program would allow participants to see where their contribution was directed, while supporting environmental projects in South Australia.
CABN founder and CEO Michael Lamprell said his company would participate in the initiative, describing sustainability as a core consideration in its work.
He said changing consumer preferences were leading more people towards smaller-scale experiences centred on nature, reflection and reconnecting with others.
“Nature is part of our unique South Australian experience and a key driver of visitation to our state and tourism regions,” Lamprell said.
Reforest co-founder and CEO Daniel Walsh said the program represented the organisation’s first partnership with a state tourism organisation to deliver a statewide regenerative destination program in Australia.
He said the initiative would bring together tourism businesses, communities and visitors around projects designed to protect natural assets.
Trees For Life South Australia CEO Jessica McKelson said the future of tourism would require partnerships that balance visitor experiences with environmental outcomes.
She said Travel for Nature would give visitors an opportunity to contribute to restoration work supporting the natural areas that underpin tourism across the state.
Business Events Adelaide CEO Damien Kitto said the initiative could also provide event organisers with a practical way to respond to growing interest in travel with a positive environmental and social impact.
The South Australian Government has positioned sustainable tourism as part of its broader ambition for the state to strengthen its reputation as a destination where tourism contributes to local communities and the environment.
Tourism businesses and event organisers interested in participating can register through the South Australian Tourism Commission’s True South initiative to receive updates about Travel for Nature.
The program’s first projects will provide a test of how a statewide contribution model can work in practice, with its future reach depending in part on participation from the tourism and events sectors.
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