Published on Friday, 27 September 2024 at 7:59:13 AM
- Esperance unveils new responsible tourism initiative on World Tourism Day
- ‘The Esperance Promise’ provides guidance on how to visit sustainably, and importantly - return home safely
- Local community and businesses are encouraged to champion the initiative, contributing to a sustainable future for tourism in the region
The Shire of Esperance, in partnership with regional tourism organisation Australia’s Golden Outback, has marked World Tourism Day with the launch of a new sustainable tourism initiative; “The Esperance Promise”.
This Australian-first initiative aims to encourage responsible travel behaviour among visitors, ensuring that both the natural environment and local community values are respected.
World Tourism Day 2024, themed “Tourism and Peace”, highlights tourism's role in fostering peace and cultural understanding. By bridging divides and creating opportunities for people to connect, tourism becomes a force for positive change.
The Esperance Promise embodies this by promoting respect, sustainability and meaningful interactions between visitors and locals, and works to prevent the kind of anti-tourist sentiment recently on display across Europe.
Shire CEO Shane Burge said, "Launching The Esperance Promise on World Tourism Day is a major step in ensuring Esperance remains not just a beautiful destination but a sustainable one. By fostering responsible tourism, we want to provide positive experiences for visitors and promote tourism benefits across our community".
Visitors are encouraged to visit The Esperance Promise website and make the Promise. There, a two-minute film charmingly narrated with a reading of the Promise text vividly illustrates the stunning landscapes, attractions, flora and fauna to be protected by responsible travel. With a picture being worth a thousand words, it’s easy to see what has motivated the Esperance community’s actions to safeguard these wonders for future residents and visitors.
Annabelle Hender, Esperance Tourism Development Manager, commented: "Tourism isn’t just about seeing beautiful places; it's about inviting visitors to connect with new places and people. The Esperance Promise is a way for us to guide visitors in being responsible stewards of this region. It’s about making sure that every visitor leaves with a deeper respect for our country and its culture".
The Esperance Promise aligns with the region’s recently launched tourism brand, “Esperance. In Your Element”, which aims to facilitate sustainable development of the tourism sector. Tourism plays a vital role in the Esperance economy, contributing to local businesses, job creation, and community vibrancy. In 2023, over 194,000 visitors injected $170 million into the local economy. However, with increased visitation has come the need for a review of local business and community sentiment on tourism strategic objectives, ensuring local ownership and sustainable tourism development and behaviour.
The new brand’s strategic objectives include: attracting target visitors, the ‘premium nature seekers’; balancing out seasonal visitation; promoting regional dispersal; and broadening the perception of Esperance beyond the region’s renowned beaches.
Businesses and community members are encouraged to promote The Esperance Promise to visitors, fostering widespread adoption of sustainable practices. The Promise will be reinforced across Esperance, from local signage to digital marketing and visitor guides, ensuring the message reaches all who come to experience the area’s natural beauty.
Launching The Esperance Promise on World Tourism Day underscores the importance of proactively managed tourism to reduce friction between visitors and locals, paving the way for peaceful, positive interactions and a multitude of long-term business, social and environmental benefits.
For more information on The Esperance Promise, visit esperancepromise.com, or contact Annabelle Hender at annabelle.hender@goldenoutback.com.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Shire of Esperance - media@esperance.wa.gov.au
Australia’s Golden Outback – annabelle.hender@goldenoutback.com
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