Irwin honoured with eco tourism award

Friday Nov 10 18:34 AEDT
Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin is being honoured by Queensland's tourism
industry with an award in his name.

The winner of the Queensland Tourism Awards' eco tourism category will
received the Steve Irwin Award at next week's ceremony in Brisbane.

"This is our way of acknowledging the incredible contribution made by Steve
Irwin to conservation around the world and to promoting tourism in
Australia, and especially in Queensland," Tourism Minister Margaret Keech
said.

"This is an important category that celebrates ecologically sustainable
tourism, something that Steve endorsed and championed with an amazing spirit
and energy."

Australia Zoo at the Sunshine Coast has previously won a swag of accolades,
including one for tourism retailing at last year's state awards.

The zoo has received more than 100,000 messages of condolence from around
the world in the two months since Irwin's death.

Irwin died on September 4 after a stingray barb pierced his chest while he
was diving off the coast of Port Douglas in far north Queensland.

The Wildlife Warriors conservation fund Irwin helped establish before his
death has received more than $2.5 million in donations to date.

Fund chief Michael Hornby said that plans for the money would be announced
before Christmas.

The public's generosity would have "humbled and embarrassed Steve in the
best way possible," he said.

There were now plans to establish a branch of the Wildlife Warriors in the
US, Mr Hornby said.

©AAP 2006