Tourism industry delegates from Indonesia are visiting the Sunshine Coast as part of a trip to learn more about how we manage tourism in Queensland.

USC Professor of Heritage Resources Management Bill Carter said the delegation is visiting the Sunshine Coast because of its coastal development approach, foreshore management, hinterland management and tourism at a village scale.

Professor Carter said delegates will visit various local sites, including Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, as "an example of a small conservation reserve with a modern visitor centre and café, with a high visitor count".

“Improved tourism in eastern Indonesia will benefit Indonesia, but also Australian travellers, and could lead to greater trade between the countries, particularly for education,” Professor Carter said.

The Sunshine Coast also demonstrates sound waste management, which is an issue of concern in Indonesia where Professor Carter says one million plastic bags are used per minute.

“Sustainable tourism can be a substitute for unsustainable income generating activities such as overfishing and timber harvesting," he said.

The trip, the fifth of its kind, is part of a program under the Australia Awards Sustainable Tourism Development program through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Delegates are also visiting Cairns and the Gold Coast.

The tour comes after a recent trip to Makassar, Indonesia in which USC and Griffith University are working to promote sustainable tourism projects.