To promote the appropriate type of tourism, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has initiated the Great Barrier Reef Tourism Operator Training Program, including “train the trainer” courses, self-teaching materials, reference videos and resource kits for marine park tour operators (Office of National Tourism, 1996: 21). Throughout the development of this training program, tourism operators and local communities have been actively involved. In September 1999, the Wet Tropics Management Authority launched
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the Draft Wet Tropics Nature-based Tourism Strategy for public review and comment. The strategy divides the region into 12 nature-based tourism precincts, each with its own distinctive features and themes. In addition, the strategy provides policies and guiding principles for various management issues, including monitoring, research, permits, accreditation and training, marketing, and cost recovery (Wet Tropics Management Authority, 1999).