Sustainable travel is no longer a niche branch of tourism limited to tree-huggers and dreadlocked hippies. It’s one of this year’s biggest travel trends, with more Aussies than ever before considering the environmental and cultural impact of their trips. From eco-resorts hidden within our heritage-listed reefs to rainforest retreats in protected national park, Australia offers plenty of sustainable travel solutions for those eager to explore new cultures while leaving a minimal environmental footprint. If you’re keen to take your sustainable lifestyle beyond just your choice of alternative milk, Booking.com’s 2025 Sustainable Travel Research has uncovered Australia's ten most sustainable travel destinations.
This year, the global travel platform surveyed 32,000 travellers across 34 countries, exploring their attitudes and intentions regarding the social and ecological impacts of travel. For the first time in the report’s ten-year history, more than half of Aussie travellers (51 per cent) are conscious of the impact their travels have on both communities and the environment.
In 2016, only 40 per cent of Aussie travellers believed they travelled sustainably. A decade later, almost all travellers (91 per cent) are now motivated to make more sustainable travel choices – from travelling off-peak (38 per cent) to visiting alternative destinations to avoid overcrowding (32 per cent).
Inspired to do some sustainable sightseeing this year? Booking.com analysed hundreds of destinations around Australia to determine the top ten most sustainable holiday spots, ranked by the highest percentage of properties with an independent third-party sustainability certification.
Located just 20 minutes from Yallingup or Busselton in Western Australia, Metricup came out on top as the most sustainable holiday spot in the country. The town is surrounded by the lush vineyards of the Margaret River region, where many local wineries prioritise eco-friendly winemaking practices. So much so that the region even has its own Certified Organic and Biodynamic Wine Trail!
For the ultimate sustainable stay, you can sleep in a private bungalow at the nearby Burnside Organic Farm, where you can mingle with the animals and sample farm-made wine and honey. Alternatively, you can retreat to a chalet at the award-winning Forest Rise eco-retreat, complete with spa baths and cosy wood fires.
South Australia's Flinders Ranges ranked as the second-most sustainable holiday destination in Australia, with much of the outback oasis protected by national and conservation parks. Rich in Adnyamathanha culture of the Traditional Land Owners, the region offers an abundance of tourism experiences that provide visitors with a deeper connection to the land. While we could go on about why each destination in the top ten deserves its spot, we’ll keep it brief and summarise the list below.
The 10 most sustainable destinations in Australia
- Metricup, WA
- Flinders Ranges, SA
- Daintree, QLD
- Alice Springs, NT
- Glen Waverley, VIC
- Cairns, QLD
- Airlie Beach, QLD
- Launceston, TAS
- Darwin, NT
- Perth, WA