6 Mar 2025
NSW Central Coast celebrates second place at global green awards
The Central Coast has been a consistent finalist in the Top 100 Stories competition for the last four years. This year, the Central Coast placed second in the Nature and Scenery category for its conservation efforts showcased in 'Waterways and Wildlife: Good Turns to Balance Conservation and Visitation'. This recognition reinforces the region’s dedication to protecting its natural landscapes and biodiversity while promoting responsible tourism.
Council Director Community and Recreation Services, Melanie Smith, said the award is a testament to strong collaboration between the Council, tourism operators, and the community.
“This recognition on the global stage showcases the Central Coast as a leading sustainable tourism destination. Our approach to conservation and responsible tourism is key to ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy the region’s natural beauty. We remain committed to working with our community and businesses to foster eco-conscious tourism initiatives.”
The Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards celebrate inspiring sustainable tourism initiatives worldwide, recognising destinations that excel in conservation and eco-tourism efforts. The Good Practice Story focuses on the development and promotion of water-based ecotourism experiences, highlighting best practice destination management in local government.
The opportunity to enter the Top 100 was made possible through a partnership between Central Coast Council and Ecotourism Australia, as part of the ECO Destination Certification program led by Council since 2020.
Last year, the Central Coast’s Good Practice Story was awarded First Place under the ‘Destination Management’ category.
Council Mayor Lawrie McKinna said this global recognition highlights the Central Coast’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.
“To place second in the Green Destinations Story Awards at ITB Berlin is a significant achievement for our region. It acknowledges our dedication to preserving the environment while providing unique and sustainable tourism experiences for visitors.
“Our conservation initiatives, such as The Little Tern conservation project and Pelican Time, reflect our efforts to balance visitation with protecting our incredible natural assets.”
Green Destinations is a Netherlands-based organisation working on the assessment, capacity building and certification of destinations and businesses committed to sustainable tourism. The competition is held under the auspices of the Top 100 Partnership, with special contributions by: Green Destinations, QualityCoast, ITB Berlin, Asian Ecotourism Network, Ecotourism Australia, DEL Turismo, Slovenia Green, Global Ecotourism Network and the Future of Tourism Coalition.
You can find out more about our ECO Destination here and more about our Good Practice Story here.
The Central Coast's Good Practice Story
Waterways and Wildlife: Good Turns to Balance Conservation and Visitation
The celebrated Central Coast Council’s achievement of being recognised by NSW government agencies for delivering the most successful Little Tern breeding program. This was declared after The North Entrance’s Karagi Point produced more fledglings over the last four breeding seasons than any other nest site in the State!
The story also celebrates the relaunch of The Entrance’s ‘Pelican Time’. Now an eco-friendly educational experience in the Central Coast’s much-loved holiday destination, in partnership with local marine wildlife experts, Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast.
Both the Little Tern Conservation Project and Pelican Time were made possible through collaboration-led project management and ongoing monitoring and resource allocation by Central Coast Council, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Destination Central Coast and Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast (MWRCC), with the goals to:
- Raise awareness
- Encourage positive visitor behaviour
- Foster environmental stewardship.
The Central Coast's story shares with the world how it’s the small, people-powered gestures that make up one big movement toward creating a more sustainable destination! Finalist status in this competition four years running only confirms the NSW Central Coast is part of a global list of respected locations consistently committed to leading the way for sustainable tourism.
The Central Coast’s finalist story, as part of the global 2024 Top 100 List, is available on the Green Destinations website.
About our ECO Destination
Explore eco-experiences on the Central Coast at our dedicated Nature experiences hub. Do you have more questions about what it means to be a certified Australian "ECO Destination"? There's a chance we've answered it for you on our handy FAQ page.
About ITB Berlin
ITB Berlin 2025 takes place from Tuesday 4 to Thursday 6 March. Since 1966, ITB Berlin has been the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show. As in previous years, the internationally acclaimed ITB Berlin Convention will take place parallel with the show as a live event on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. Under the heading ‘The Power of Transition lives here’, 400 leading speakers from business, science and politics will discuss the industry’s current and future challenges on four stages with a total of 17 themed tracks and more than 100,000 attendees.
About the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards at ITB Berlin 2024
The Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards, held annually at ITB Berlin since 2014, celebrated excellence in sustainable tourism practices worldwide in its 11th Edition on 4 March 2024. This prestigious event recognised destinations that demonstrated leadership and innovation in sustainability across six categories based on nominations from the Green Destinations 2023 Top 100 Stories. Hosted on the Blue Stage (Hall 7.1) at ITB Berlin, the ceremony announced the winners of the Green Destinations Story Awards, introduced the newly Green Destinations Awarded and Certified destinations, and unveiled the host destination for the Green Destinations 2026 global conference, among other significant updates.