Mount Hotham has been named as one of the global Top 100 Sustainable Destinations for 2019.
The prestigious list was unveiled at Global Green Destinations Days in Croatia on October 10 with Mt Hotham featuring for the first time, one of only two Australian locations to be included.
It is the fifth year the Top 100 Sustainable Destinations List has been compiled, among it 28 different countries are represented with Slovenia and the Netherlands leading the way in 2019.
Mt Hotham joins Queensland’s Douglas Shire in being recognised among other world leading destinations for their sustainability efforts.
Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board (MHARMB) manages a very sensitive ecosystem, with sustainability and environmental issues an important consideration for guests choosing to visit.
“This success demonstrates that we are taking concrete steps to improve the management of our destination, and that we are a leader amongst our peers and competitors in this space,” Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board CEO, Jon Hutchins said.
Each year the resort aims to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and is on target to see recyclables represent 50% of the total waste stream by 2021.
During the final week of the 2019 snow season, MHARMB announced it will provide compostable takeaway cups to every winter operator selling coffee, ensuring a significant drop in the amount of waste going to landfill.
Revegetation and ongoing management of unique environmental sites is also a key focus for MHARMB along with managing and protecting populations of the critically endangered Mountain Pygmy-possum.
Mt Hotham is currently working towards attaining its Ecotourism Australia ECO Destinations Certification.
The accreditation assures travellers that destinations are backed by a strong, well-managed commitment to sustainable practices and provide high-quality nature-based tourism experiences.
“Our aim is to achieve these certifications over the next two years with the first of these likely to be completed by 2020,” Mr Hutchins said.
“Over the next 12 months we hope to receive further buy-in from our operators to support our development of summer tourism products and further development in the nature tourism space.”