An award will be named in honour of conservation and tourism champion Steve Irwin at next week’s Queensland Tourism Awards, Tourism Minister Margaret Keech announced today.

Mrs Keech said the winner of the ecotourism category this year would be accepting the newly-named Steve Irwin Ecotourism Award.

“This is our way of acknowledging the incredible contribution made by Steve Irwin to conservation around the world and to promoting tourism in Australia, and especially in Queensland,” Mrs Keech said.

“Steve was a tourism icon, acknowledged informally by his millions of adoring fans and formally as the recipient of many awards, including a host of Queensland Tourism Awards and Australian Tourism Awards.

“This is an important category that celebrates ecologically sustainable tourism, something that Steve endorsed and championed with amazing spirit and energy.”

The ecotourism category is being sponsored by the QueenslandParks and Wildlife Service (QPWS).

Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr said she was pleased QPWS had sponsored the award because the Beattie Government agency and Steve Irwin had much in common.

“Steve was a self-styled wildlife warrior who believed in educating people about protecting our animals and our bush through tourism ventures such as Australia Zoo that have minimal impact on the surrounding environment,” Ms Nelson-Carr said.

“That’s part of the QPWS’s brief, too.

“So it’s fabulous that we can help Steve, who did so much to raise the profile of conservation issues, be remembered in this way.”

The category has attracted six worthy nominations this year:

• Billabong Sanctuary (Townsville)
• Daintree Discovery Centre (Tropical North Queensland)
• EastBedarraIsland Retreat (Tropical North Queensland)
• KingfisherBay Resort and Village (FraserCoast)
• O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat (Gold Coast)
• Tallships Adventures (Whitsundays)

“I am certain that whichever entrant wins next Friday (17 November), they will be especially proud to receive this newly-named award in memory of such a unique and much-loved individual,” Mrs Keech said.

Nearly 200 nominations in 28 categories have been received for the awards, which are organised annually by Tourism Queensland and the Queensland Tourism Industry Council.

Queensland Rail’s Traveltrain Holidays is principal partner for the gala event and Jimbour Wines is Exclusive Wine Partner.

For further information, visit www.queenslandtourismawards.com.au.

Media Inquiries: David Smith 3225 1005 or Louise Yates 3535 5349 / 0403 713 176 (Tourism Queensland)