THE Gumbaynggirr ‘Two Path Strong’ visitor experience celebrating local Aboriginal culture and knowledge of Country has secured Coffs Harbour a place on the Global Green Destinations Top 100 List for 2022.

Every year international sustainable tourism organisation Green Destinations receives outstanding entries from businesses worldwide telling their stories to inspire travellers to visit and tourism professionals to promote the area.

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The Coffs Coast is one of only two Australian destinations to score a place on the prestigious Top 100 List, the other being the Central Coast.

The region’s selected story entry, Two Path Strong, celebrates Aboriginal tourism on the Coffs Coast and the rich culture that has supported the establishment of the first bilingual Indigenous language school in New South Wales, Australia.

“We are honoured and proud that the story of our Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School and our award-winning cultural tourism businesses have been selected in this prestigious international competition,” said Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan Aboriginal Corporation (BMNAC) CEO Clark Webb.

“It’s exciting that the story of our living Gumbaynggirr culture around Coffs will be shared with the world,” he added.

The announcements were made on 27 September at Green Destinations 2022 Future of Tourism Summit in Athens, Greece.

City of Coffs Harbour General Manager Natalia Cowley told News Of The Area, “During the process to become NSW’s first ECO Destination, the authentic Aboriginal tourism products of the Coffs Coast stood out as a significant contributor to that goal and this story is one of many examples of what’s on offer in this space.”

Now nearing the first anniversary of Coffs Coast’s ECO Destination certification, Ms Cowley congratulated “the City team, our tourism businesses, and the community for this outstanding achievement”.

“Our region is further cementing its status as an ecotourism centre with a significant cultural story that will be shared around the globe.”

Australia’s first bilingual Indigenous language school is located in Coffs Coast, along with an array of award-winning tours, cafes and cultural experiences run by the Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan Aboriginal Corporation (BMNAC).

Green Destinations is a Netherlands-based organisation that aims to make tourism better and more sustainable, leading a global partnership of over 50 representatives, consisting of sustainable tourism experts, consultancies and non-profit organisations.

By Andrea FERRARI