Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) has launched a campaign to secure the United Nations Lifetime Achievement Award for the Great Barrier Reef, aiming to capture global attention.
If successful, it will be the first non-human recipient of the award, highlighting the reef’s significance and providing historic international recognition for Australia’s tourism industry.
The campaign, backed by federal funding and partners including Qantas, aims to give the reef the same recognition that has previously been awarded to conservation icons such as David Attenborough.
“The Great Barrier Reef has done so much not only for tourism, but for our state, our country, and the world,” said Georgia Linton, PR lead for Tourism and Events Queensland.
“It actually meets all the criteria for the award. Why not recognise such a remarkable entity with the UN Lifetime Achievement Award?”
The campaign, which is only days old, has already gained momentum. Over 2,600 signatures have been collected on a global petition, with plans to reach an estimated 50,000 supporters before the nomination deadline in November.
Key strategies include leveraging TNQ’s international networks, engaging celebrities and high-profile “Friends of Queensland”, and tapping into Qantas’ 30,000-strong staff as campaign advocates. Outreach will begin this week, and the campaign will span the US, the UK, Europe, and South-east Asia.
Speaking to TTG Asia at the Australian Tourism Exchange 2025 in Brisbane, Linton explained that the campaign to win the UN Environment Programme’s Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award also aims to dispel myths about the reef’s health and promote positive engagement.
“There’s a lot of misconception that the reef is dead or dying, and that you’re hurting the reef if you visit, when that couldn’t be further from the truth. When people experience the reef first-hand, they fall in love with it – and they want to protect it,” said Linton.
The campaign is being led by Lani Cooper, general manager of Marketing at Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
If successful, industry leaders anticipate significant returns in global recognition for Australia’s tourism, indigenous custodians, and environmental advocates.
“To have that scale of global recognition would be a pretty special moment,” Linton shared. “The Great Barrier Reef has been a healer, a teacher, a provider – and it continues to give birth through coral spawning. It has all the qualities that deserve this honour,” she added, noting that reef awareness and education are as important as the final result.
Nominations close in November, with the award presentation scheduled for March next year. Reef supporters can learn more or submit a nomination here.
