Australasia, Asia & the Middle East
While some destinations in the region look to the future for their sustainability initiatives – like Barrington Coast’s use of solar panels on public buildings – others look to the past, with Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah making use of traditional mud-brick architecture to keep buildings cool. Read on for our selection of the best eco-friendly practices across Australasia, the Middle East and Asia…
Judging panel:
Dr Anna Spenceley, Christopher Imbsen, Diana Jarvis, George Kipouros, Jana Apih, Jeremy Smith, Dr Lauren Siegel, Lyn Hughes, Dr Nicole Cocolas, Sally Davey and Tiffany Chan
New South Wales, Australia
Barrington Coast
Following the ‘Black Summer’ bushfires of five years ago, large portions of the Manning River estuary and surrounding salt marshes were devastated.
Thanks to support from WWF Australia’s Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund, the Barrington Coast has rebuilt its tourism industry with a focus on sustainable travel. It is certainly not short of natural escapes, with sites such as the World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests of the Barrington Tops (pictured) and the internationally significant Myall Lakes wetland area catching the eye.
But it is what is being done here that is impressive. The region is aiming to achieve net zero by 2040 through a variety of sustainability initiatives, from climate action and biodiversity protection to community empowerment. The installation of solar panels across public buildings and water resilience workshops are just some of the works in progress. This has led to the region being newly certified with ECO Destination certification from Ecotourism Australia. DJ (Photos: Destination NSW)
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Diriyah
You may have seen intriguing billboard ads for ‘The City of Earth’. These refer to Diriyah, birthplace of the Saudi Kingdom, a historic city on the fringes of Riyadh with a World Heritage site (At-Turaif; pictured) at its heart.
Located just outside Riyadh, the city is undergoing an ambitious and pioneering redevelopment, with the tagline of ‘where heritage and innovation combine for a sustainable future’. This giga-project has the aim of creating a green and highly liveable (and visitable) city, incorporating eco-friendly elements of its past, such as Najdi mud-brick architecture and design, which passively regulates temperature and reduces energy use.
In addition, over 6.5 million indigenous trees and plants have been planted, while other initiatives focus on water conservation, energy efficiency and climate change resilience. The first phase has already been awarded platinum-level LEED accreditation. LH (Photos / Video: Saudi Tourism Authority)
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Kyrgyzstan
Karakol
Should you find yourself in Karakol, a mountain town in eastern Kyrgyzstan, you could well end up being welcomed into the home of a local resident for a meal.
The aim is to help visitors learn about the region’s many ethnicities in an immersive – and delicious – way, as well as platform cultural identities that were suppressed here for many years under Soviet rule. DJ (Photos: Uncornered Market)
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Japan
In the last decade, the number of annual visitors to Japan has risen from 10 million to nearly four times that number. Locals and visitors alike are feeling the pinch as infrastructure creaks and costs rise.
But with 80% of travellers visiting just 10% of the country, the problem is as much where people are going. In response, tour operator InsideJapan has created ‘undertourism’ itineraries, ferrying travellers to lesser-visited places such as Toyama. This rural region lost generations to the pull of the metropolises but is rebuilding itself through community tourism in places like the World Heritage-listed farming community of Gokoyama (pictured), whose residents limit visitor numbers.
Another great example of the benefits of ‘undertourism’ is the Satoyama Experience. This community-centred accommodation in the small city of Hida encourages long, culturally immersive stays, allowing it to provide training and jobs to local youths. GC (Photos: SATOYAMA EXPERIENCE / Gokayama / Shutterstock)
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Türkiye
With its huge size, breadth of landscapes, and the wealth of opportunities these resources offer travellers, Türkiye has plenty to entice visitors. It is also leading the way in responsible tourism, having become the first nation to sign a governmental agreement with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
The country’s own national sustainability programme launched in 2022, with one of the key aims being to ensure 100% of its accommodation achieves sustainability certification by 2030. Already, over 19,000 stays have been certified or verified, meaning each has policies in place for climate adaptation, biodiversity protection and local employment.
The programme also supports the implementation of visitor management plans for the country’s cultural sites, ensuring its 21 World Heritage sites – including the magnificent statues of Mount Nemrut (pictured) – and other historical destinations remain preserved for centuries to come. DJ (Photos: Shutterstock)
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Otago Peninsula, South Island
East of Dunedin, in the southern reaches of the Otago peninsula, you’ll find wildlife aplenty. And thanks to various conservation initiatives, you can view them in their natural habitats while contributing to their welfare.
Tours of the OPERA eco-reserve and wildlife rehabilitation centre afford sightings of one of the world’s rarest penguins, the hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin; pictured). These birds are endemic to New Zealand, but barely a few thousand remain in the wild after a devastating 75% population decline over the last two decades. Revenue from visits directly supports the welfare of the hoiho and the protection of all species in the reserve.
Further up the coast, at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head, you can watch the world’s smallest sphenisciformes, the blue penguin, from a specially designed viewing platform built by the Pukekura Trust. Visitors can observe them alongside expert guides, who will share their insights into the penguins’ behaviour as they waddle onto the shore at dusk. And right next door, at the Royal Albatross Centre, you’ll also find the world’s only mainland breeding colony of northern royal albatross. There are typically around 70 breeding pairs, and you can view them from the glass observatory or take a guided tour with an expert.
Finally, finish your trip by joining a guided tour of the Orokonui Ecosanctuary, a pioneering, community-led conservation project dedicated to restoring 307 hectares of coastal Otago forest just across from the Peninsula. Since the construction of a 9km predator-proof fence in 2007 and the removal of any invasive species, its native wildlife – kiwi, kākā, tuatara, and takahē – has flourished. DJ (Photos: Dunedin NZ / Shutterstock)
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Taiwan
Beyond Taiwan’s futuristic metropolises, the neon haze of gleaming skyscrapers soon fades into lush canvassed peaks, forests and volcanoes. However, this island is green in other ways too.
As well as the many trails and cycle routes that thread the hinterlands, efforts are being made to bring Taiwan’s tourism services in line with its sustainable ethos, thanks to a nationwide ban on disposable toiletries in hotels and the introduction of a Green Travel Seal (GTS) pointing visitors towards stays lowering their emissions.
Together with a newfound focus on Indigenous tourism experiences, promoting a slower, more responsible form of travel – through guided forest treks and eco-friendly homestays – travellers will discover plenty that intrigues. A visit to Keelung’s Heping Island Geopark (pictured), for instance, reveals a former Spanish-owned isle that recently gained recognition for its conservation approach and now only allows visitors seasonal access to its trails and shores. GC (Photos: Taiwan Tourism / Shutterstock)
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Singapore
Few countries have approached greening their economy and land quite as single-mindedly as Singapore. As a result of its nationwide Green Plan 2030, 47% of the city is now covered in foliage.
Hotels like the PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering and Oasia Downtown present walls of cascading greenery, while the giant steel trees of Gardens by the Bay (pictured) are more than an evening light show. Its domes contain some 1.5 million plants.
Innovations such as the Bukit Timah Rail Corridor provide visitors and wildlife a continuous 24km green vein through the city, but even this is just a fraction of a larger 391km-long network of paths linking up its parks.
And as the country celebrates its 60th anniversary, the recent reopening of Big Sisters’ Island, part of Singapore’s first marine park, has coincided with the announcement of a second park being developed off Lazarus and Kusi islands, proving it’s not just on land where green strides are being made. GC (Photos / Video: Singapore Tourism Board)
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The Cook Islands
Tour guide and native Rarotongan Kura Happ has a deep passion for the moana (sea). On her Reef Explorer tour (pictured), she shares her Indigenous and intimate knowledge of the waters around the Cook Islands.
The walk takes you to the edge of Avaavaroa Passage, where you can often spot green sea turtles and eagle rays. She also illuminates the mysterious ocean ecosystems with stories about the local marine life and the all-important coral reef, which is at the heart of life here.
It’s a magnificent way for visitors to slow down and better understand the islands’ relationship with nature. DJ (Photos: Cook Islands)
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AlUla
AlUla’s sustainability masterplan aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. Key to this is a mix of tree-planting initiatives (10 million trees) and eco-friendly building practices.
The region is also working on increasing its biodiversity, with the Sharaan Nature Reserve, which spans 1,500 sq km north of AlUla, central to this. Home to species including the Arabian wolf and oryx (pictured), there are plans to reintroduce the critically endangered Arabian leopard here too.
The reserve has had plenty of success: its wildlife reintroduction programme has released over 1,000 native animals into four protected areas, while 500,000 trees were recently planted here using locally sourced seeds.
Its community engagement has centred on creating job opportunities for local women, including the park’s four female rangers. It has also been reported that Sharaan is on track for IUCN Green List status for its sustainable management. TB (Photos: Shutterstock)
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