page_title: Tourism on the Great Barrier Reef
section_title: Management and regulations
hierarchical_section_title: Tourism on the Great Barrier Reef / Management and regulations
caption_attribution_description: English: Me snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef
context_page_description: Tourism is one of the major industries in the Great Barrier Reef region. Approximately five million people visit the Great Barrier Reef each year. According to the WWF, tourism of the area contributes $5.4 billion a year to the Australian economy, and employs approximately 69,000 people. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg sees the key competitive advantage of the Great Barrier Reef as opposed to other, closer, reef tourism destinations is the region's reputation as being "the most pristine coral reef on the planet". The GBRMPA states that careful management, which includes permits for camping and all commercial marine tourism within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, has so far ensured that tourists have a very minimal impact on the reef.
context_section_description: The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 is one of the major laws governing the management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. When it was passed, the management of tourism was seen as an important issue.  Ros Kelly proposed a 1% tax on tourism activities in the GBR in 1991, but this was criticised by Queensland's premier, Wayne Goss. All licensed tourism operations in the Marine Park must pay the Environmental Management Charge (EMC), introduced in 1993, which provided 18% of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's budget in 2009–2010.
caption: Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, 2011
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