In March 1994, the Commonwealth Department of Tourism released the National Ecotourism Strategy as one of the major initiatives for developing sustainable tourism in regional Australia. Based on the principles of ecological sustainability, the National Ecotourism Strategy provides an overall framework to guide the integrated planning, development and management of ecotourism in Australia. To facilitate implementation, the Government provided AU$10 million for funding the National Ecotourism Program which aims to foster innovative projects, enhance visitors’ appreciation of natural and cultural values, and contribute to long-term conservation and management of resources. In addition, the program provides assistance in regional ecotourism planning to reduce environmental pressure on peak demand areas and to distribute the benefits of ecotourism more widely. Other auxiliary projects include infrastructure support for ecotourism (e.g. boardwalks and interpre- tation centres), baseline studies and monitoring projects, and extensive market research by the Bureau of Tourism Research.