Ross Dowling is a committed, active member of Ecotourism Australia having previously served it as a Board Member, Treasurer and Vice President. In these capacities Ross convened several previous EA conferences, liaised with the International Ecotourism Society, compiled an ecotourism resource directory, hosted a number of ecotourism seminars in Western Australia and served as Treasurer of Australia's International Year of Ecotourism 2002 Organization EA Committee.

Ross has a very practical involvement in Ecotourism having been a tour guide to wilderness areas and national parks in many parts of the world for over twenty five years. In addition he works as an ecotourism consultant involved in national and regional planning and development and is chairperson of EcoPlanet, which plans to build two ecolodges in WA.

As a Board Member Ross continues to champion EA in Western Australia through his positions as Chairperson of the Form Advocating Cultural and Ecotourism (FACET) and as a representative of the industry peak body, the State's Tourism Council.

Ross is Edith Cowan University's Foundation Professor and Head of Tourism. There he both teaches and researches in the field of ecotourism and in the past two years has co-authored four books on the subject and in 2005 is convening two international ecotourism conferences in India and Borneo.