THE ACT Government has invited submissions into an inquiry into current and potential ecotourism in the ACT and region.

The inquiry, led by the Standing Committee on Climate Change, Environment and Water, will examine a range of issues including: the extent of ecotourism activities in the region and how they contribute to, or detract from, the region’s ecosystems; the extent to which these activities contribute to the region’s economy; the industry self-regulation and government regulation, which is most likely to incentivise ecotourism activities that assist in the protection and enhancement of the region’s ecosystems; and the industry and government measures that are most likely to promote understanding of the biodiversity and other benefits of ecotourism being explicitly based on principles of ecological sustainability.

The deadline for written submissions for the inquiry is March 23. All submissions should include the author’s full name, postal address, email address and telephone number.

The terms of reference is available to download here.