Larapinta Trail trekking holiday, Australia

This operator is a member of Ecotourism Australia, an organisation whose mission is to nurture, consolidate and promote ecotourism. Ecotourism Australia is committed to helping travel operations become more environmentally sustainable, and it contributes financially to conservation solutions and projects that involve and benefit local communities. This operator is also a member of Aboriginal Tourism Australia (ATA), the primary national organisation for Indigenous tourism within Australia. ATA provides leadership and a focus for the development of Aboriginal tourism, consistent with Aboriginal economic, cultural and environmental values.

This trip is run in conjunction with a local operator who is the only Advanced Eco-Tourism Accredited tour company based in Alice Springs and operating in the Red Centre. This is the highest acknowledgement for environmental understanding, operational practices and cultural representation. Tour guides do a wonderful job teaching visitors about the beauty and complexity of the Australian outback and explain why it is important that it should be preserved. The local authorities work closely with the tourism industry towards this and in return tour operators help monitor and manage the sites they visit. Equally important is setting a benchmark for tour leader training and conservation practices, to ensure that standards are continuously maintained.

‘Larapinta Trail – End to End’ takes trekkers on one of the best extended walks in Australia – in the midst of the beautiful West MacDonnell Ranges. It enables them to experience this epic adventure with the help of a local tour leader and various assistants, who are proud to show you this amazing part of the world in which they live. By travelling through wilderness areas and Aboriginal lands, travellers are made aware of the importance to preserve these places so that they can be appreciated by future generations. To support tourism programs in northern Australia, this operator is endeavouring to train local staff on a variety of issues, from environmental awareness to First Aid. This not only assists in the conduct of a tour but also provides guides and assistants with important life skills. By employing guides born and bred in the region, this operator is also supporting the local economy. Through offering employment and steady revenue, tourism can ultimately make a real positive difference to local communities.