About
Our Philosophy
Tropic Wings Cairns Tours & Charters is the longest established coach operator in Cairns, and we are proud to be constantly striving towards greener and more eco-friendly tours, something we’ve had at the core of our ethos since we began in 1981!
We have been inducted into the Ecotourism Australia Hall of Fame, as we have been Eco Certified for 20 years. It recognises Tropic Wings as a company that has helped pave the way for responsible and sustainable tourism. We respect the environment and are committed to environmental best practices to ensure we promote sustainability and protect our natural assets.
As part of our revolutionising sustainable tourism and transport project we are the first and only tour operator in Australia to integrate fully electric coaches into its tours. The combination of electric vehicles and our Reforest programme, ensures that our guests are taking a climate positive journey like no other.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE WITH THE REFOREST PROGRAM
Let’s make your experience climate positive!
We are constantly working to improve our sustainability. However, like almost all business activities today, your tour still has a small carbon footprint.
That’s why we’re excited to introduce one of our partners, Reforest.
Reforest is an innovative new solution that offers a way to take action on those carbon emissions that is tangible, meaningful and collaborative.
Through Reforest, we will plant enough trees in a local reforestation project to remove all the carbon emissions from your tour. The project we have selected is restoring agricultural land on the Atherton Tableland, planting a combination of rainforest and native conifer species.
As well as removing CO2 and protecting biodiversity, the trees we plant will reduce erosion and sediment runoff, helping to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
Together, we can be climate positive and help reverse climate change.
You can learn more here.
RECOGNISING AND COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACTS
- We are the first and only tour operator in Australia to integrate fully electric coaches into our tours
- Our 100% electric bus operating on all our Kuranda tours reduces CO2 emissions by up to 30 tonnes each year
- Travelling in groups on a coach minimises the carbon footprint
- Our drivers are trained to operate responsibly – we don’t leave our engines idling when the coach is not in use, reducing noise and air pollution
- We deliver informative and relevant commentary about the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area to educate and increase awareness about the biodiversity and ecological and cultural significance of the area
SUSTAINABLE AND RESPONSIBLE TREATMENT OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES IS FUNDAMENTAL
- Environment-friendly practices
- Our coaches are parked in the shade wherever possible to assist with air-conditioning and passenger comfort
- The majority of our vehicles are diesel – the introduction of AdBlue neutralises the fuel
- We use eco-friendly cleaning products
- Recycling
- We take out everything we take in and have a recycling plan in place
- All of our plastic bottles get recycled
- The maintenance workshop uses an oil separation system separating oil from water and ensures appropriate disposal
- We re-use our water in the coach washing machine, which minimises our water usage
- Our visitors are valuable and deserve a high-quality experience
- Tropic Wings offers tours to Kuranda and the Daintree Rainforest with multi-language skilled tour guide drivers
- We track our visitors’ experience and actively engage with them in feedback discussions to improve our performance
- Support of our local community in the Cairns region
- Tropic Wings changed the business model and included a school bus service for Cairns’ school kids
- We regularly donate to the Cairns Organisation United for Cancer Health (https://couch.org.au)
- We support the local community with transportation options and sponsorships, such as the Gondwana Children’s Choir
- Tropical Animal Rehabilitation Centre (TARC) - https://www.wildlifehabitat.com.au/tarc/
- Decent employment opportunities and quality education
- We offer stable employment and (re-)training opportunities for the local community
- Indigenous employment is actively encouraged and desired
- Our training centre provides multiple accredited training courses in the hospitality and tourism sector
- CaPTA developed and implemented an Indigenous Employment Strategy in 2008 to increase employment for local Indigenous people
