South Australia's credentials as a clean, green tourism destination have again been acknowledged, with the announcement that the State will host the 2008 National Eco-Tourism Conference.

Around 400 conference delegates will see first-hand the eco-tourism experiences on offer in South Australia when they attend the conference in November 2008, to be hosted by Ecotourism Australia, the peak national body for the eco-tourism industry.

South Australian Tourism Commission Chief Executive Andrew McEvoy says South Australia is already a leader in the field of ecologically sustainable tourism development, with around 15% of the nation's Eco Certified tourism operators based here.

"Our 76 Eco Certified tourism experiences include everything from swimming with wild sea lions and dolphins to four-wheel-drive touring through the Outback," McEvoy says. "In addition, more than 20% of South Australia is set aside as reserves for conservation – a greater percentage than any other mainland state.

More than one million "nature-based" tourists each year experience South Australia's easily accessible outback, bush, coast and river.