18 November 2007

Abstracts Snapshot - Ecotourism Australia Conference 2007

Ecotourism Australia National Conference 2007
Wednesday, November 21 & Thursday, November 22
PROGRAM SNAPSHOT

Sustainability and Climate Change
Indigenous issues in tourism
Balancing Park Protection & Use
Educating Future Leaders
Branding and Destination Planning
Understanding Your Markets
Community Attitudes & Involvement
Partnership Initiatives in the tourism industry

Lonely Planet – Tony Wheeler, Founder – Ecotourism: Is it a real global challenge or just another travel buzzword?
Ecotourism and sustainable travel are hot topics, but is this a real challenge or just another travel buzzword? Is it simply another advertising slogan to sell travel to the punters? There’s no question that travel and tourism are vitally important for economic life on our planet today and disproportionately so for many of the world’s weaker countries, but can our world withstand all the travel we’re getting up to? In this look at ecotourism and world travel we’ll try to work out whether the Melbourne Grand Prix is actually a green event, ponder whether staying home and flying less could actually do more damage to our environment and try to decide if there are any easy answers to a huge problem.

Wotif.com – Graeme Wood, Managing Director – What is “The Eco Future”?

 Carbon Balance Consulting – Steven Andrew, Principal Consultant - Identifying your Carbon Footprint & Becoming Carbon Neutral
Where do emissions occur in tourism business and how do we tackle reducing our Footprint? Learn how a robust audio can add value to your triple bottom line.

Conservation Volunteers Australia – Joanne Davies, National Ecotour Program Manager - Action for Climate Change
Action for Climate Change initiatives include a carbon offset program which provides real and accredited carbon storage opportunities in native revegetation projects across Australia to enhance biodiversity.

University of Ballarat, WIDCORP – La Vergne Lehmann, PhD Student, WIDCORP - Valuing Water in Tourism
Learn about a water valuation method developed to guide tourism policy to achieve sustainable water use for tourism enterprises in semi arid destinations. 

CONSUMER

New Economic Order – Ross Honeywill, Consumer Behaviourist and Author -  
The Eco-Divide: How the NEO is redefining the travel market
Meeting expectations of consumers who look for destinations that stand for something will define the tourism challenge of the decade. The “New Economic Order” redefines the travel market.

Leap Advertising - Charlotte Prouse, Director - Brand Strategy Development
A compelling brand can guide the culture of an organisation, the experiences that are on offer to visitors; even the infrastructural development of business & destinations.

 Travel + Leisure Australia Magazine – Anthony Dennis, Editor - Green and Glossy: How are travel magazines are responding to the eco challenge?
How are our editors dealing with the increased responsibility of informing readers about ecotourism issues? What role can the travel industry play in better delivering the sustainable tourism message?

 James Cook University – Alexandra Coghlan & Bruce Prideaux, Postdoctoral Research Fellows, School of Business, Tourism Program - “The Great Barrier Reef is dying, see it whilst you can!”
Most coral reef biologists agree that the health of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is in jeopardy. In 2007, the IPCC concluded that parts of the Reef may be dead by 2030, resulting in high media coverage of the “dying reef”. But are visitors as sensitive to these issues as might be expected?

GOVERNMENT & UNIVERSITIES

Hon. Gavin Jennings - Victorian Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Innovation - Climate Change: Victoria’s Strategy for the Future
The Victorian Government is committed to growing nature-based tourism as a significant segment of the State’s thriving tourism industry. The Nature-based Tourism Strategy 2007–2011 will guide sustainable, responsible and sensitive development of this sector.

Parks Victoria – Mark Stone, Chief Executive Parks Victoria - Parks and Protected area management in a post bushfire environment
Severe restrictions on access to parks and reserves, infrastructure damage and downturns in regional economies followed significant bushfire events in the Alps and Gippsland (2003), Wilsons Promontory (2004), the Grampians in 2006, and the Alps and Gippsland again in 2007, among others. Parks Victoria has collaborated closely with the tourism industry and government in achieving a speedy recovery.

 Curtain Sustainable Tourism Centre PO – Professor Jack Carlsen,
Co-Director - Valuing Parks and Protected Areas for Tourism: The Atlas Project
The Atlas Project discusses the importance of estimating the value of Parks & Protected Areas (PA) for tourism across Australia.

Murdoch University – Aggie Wegner, Susan A. Moore, Jim Macbeth,
Research Fellows - Overcoming challenges in collaboration between managers and tour operators
The Action Sharing Model presents how protected area managers and tour operators can better collaborate to share and gain new knowledge.

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES

Tourism Victoria – Sean Daugherty, Senior Marketing Officer, Nature-based Tourism - Victoria's Nature-based Tourism Strategy 2007-2011
Victoria’s Nature-based Tourism Strategy 2007–2011 was developed in partnership by Tourism Victoria, Parks Victoria and the Department of Sustainability and Environment in order to stimulate and grow nature based tourism. This is Victoria’s first major interagency strategy for this product, providing a long-term, coordinated approach to policy, planning, sustainable development and marketing of the sector.

Townsville City Council – Adrian Turnbull and Greg Bruce, Creek to Coral Water Educator, Integrated Sustainability Services Townsville City Council –
Eco-Catchment Education Tours
The world’s first local government to receive Advanced Eco Accreditation demonstrates how their Eco Catchment Education Tours provides a hands-on approach to following the water cycle from the top of the catchment to the receiving marine environment.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority – Vicki Bonanno, Acting Manager Projects, Tourism and Recreation Group - Effectiveness and uptake of GBRMPA’s high standard tourism program
A recent canvassing of Marine Park operators revealed their reasons for achieving Ecotourism certification and the benefits that matter to them, as well as discovering why some operators have so far not become involved.

INTERNATIONAL / PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES

University College of Science and Technology Malaysia - Yahaya Ibrahim
Associate Professor, School of Social, Development & Environmental Studies, Faculty of Social Science & Humanities - Marine Park in Malaysia: Issues, Conservation and Malaysian Provisions
How is Malaysia protecting, conserving and managing their marine parks?

 Bunkyo University Japan - Professor Yurie Kaizu, Associate Professor for Ecotourism, Faculty of International Studies, Director of Japan Ecotourism Society - The Current Ecotourism Movement and Regional Challenges in Japan
How is the Japanese government and private sector promoting the ecotourism philosophy?

Japan Ecotourism Society – Hiroko Kobayashi, Director, Japan Ecotourism Society
What can we learn from the Japanese Ranger Program partnership?
A partnership involving Japan Ecotourism Society and Qld Parks and Wildlife Services discusses the value and benefits to both parties and the Queensland tourism economy.

Ten Knots Group – Mariglo Laririt, Manager for Environment - Partnerships for Tourism and Conservation in a Philippine Protected Area
Showcases how high quality tourism has been maintained in El Nido in Northern Palaway, Philippines, due to the Ten Knots Group’s assistance to various groups in policing conservation goals and setting these into legislation and action.

Help Tourism India – Asit Biswas, Managing Director - Linking Protected Areas and Heritage with people's livelihood by allowing ownership
Showcases a tour operator based in the Indian part of East Himalaya, which has implemented 19 community tourism projects, addressing the local tradition of conservation. It aims to link protected areas and heritage with people’s livelihood by giving them ownership through tourism.

William Angliss Institute of TAFE – Paul Taylor - Educating Future Leaders: Workshop
What role can TAFE play in the development of ecotourism leaders and what is the key focus to training?

COMMUNITY ATTITUDES

Sanmor Consulting Group – Graham Morris, Managing Partner - Aboriginal Culture in Central Australia: The Visitor Experience
Genuine Aboriginal cultural experiences are increasing in demand. The Red Centre Way in Central Australia provides insights into how aboriginal communities have solved problems associated with establishing and presenting the programs.

James Cook University – Julie Carmody & Professor Bruce Prideaux, Research Officer, School of Business - Community Involvement in the Management of a World Heritage Icon
Survey findings illustrate how the Wet Tropical World Heritage Area rainforests are perceived by the North Queensland community.

Charles Sturt University – Rosemary Black and Alice Crabtree, Senior Lecturers, School of Environmental Sciences - What is Quality Ecotourism?
What are the issues surrounding and mechanisms underpinning quality assurance in ecotourism? While consensus exists on ecotourism’s key principles, an accepted international definition is still strongly debated and there is considerable latitude in how ecotourism is practiced.

ESSEC Business School, France - Professor Maud Tixier - Guest responses to a more sustainable (responsible) hospitality business: a cross-cultural study
Enjoyment and relaxation are more attractive than education and learning, even in nature based activities. What else do guests respond to when it comes to making responsible choices offered by hoteliers? How do Australian guests differ from French guests in a similar setting?

BRANDING & DESTINATION PLANNING

Parks Australia Division – Bruce Leaver, First Assistant Secretary, Department of the Environment and Water Resources - Progress in the National Landscapes Program
The National Landscapes Program is a partnership between Tourism Australia and Parks Australia to populate Brand Australia with the top 15 superb visitor experiences for strategic planning and marketing purposes, with the Red Centre designated the first Landscape of 26 candidates.

University of New England – Manuela Taboada, PhD Candidate for Ecological Economics & Water Policy Research -  Branding the Waterfall Way: An alternative perspective for promotion
The process and results of collaboratively branding the Waterfall Way provides an alternative perspective for promoting sustainable eco and nature-based tourism via development of a shared regional brand concept.

Edith Cowan University – Professor Ross Dowling, Foundation Professor & Head of Tourism, School of Marketing, Tourism & Leisure - Geotourism: Appreciating earth’s geological heritage
Geotourism focuses on the earth’s geological heritage and is an emerging movement describing people who go to places to look and learn about aspects of the landscape’s natural resources including landforms, fossil beds and rocks and minerals. In June 2007, Australia’s first Geopark was accepted at the national level by UNESCO.

Planning for People - Janet Mackay, Director - Are Great Walks icons and are all icons great?
Assessment and development of iconic walks in Australia as well as demand, market characteristics and user expectations for walking are looked at, using examples to demonstrate various developmental approaches. By illustrating the great and the not so great, we can consider what makes a walk successful.

For more information contact:
Kym Cheatham, Chief Executive Officer,
Ecotourism Australia
E: ceo@ecotourism.org.au M: 0427 279 414
www.ecotourism.org.au
ABN 92 909 103 274

The Ecotourism Australia vision: "To be leaders in assisting ecotourism and other committed tourism operations to become environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and socially and culturally responsible".
Ecotourism Australia was formed in 1991 as an incorporated non-profit organisation, and is the peak national body for the ecotourism industry. Ecotourism Australia aims to grow and promote ecotourism and to assist tourism operators to become environmentally sustainable, economically viable and socially and culturally responsible.

Membership includes tour operators, ecotourism accommodation, tourism planners, protected area managers, academics and students, regional tourism associations and travellers.
Ecotourism Australia’s certification program ECO is a world first. It provides objective monitoring and auditing of organisations’ ecotourism claims and provides travel agents and tourists with an assurance of best practice ecological sustainability, natural area management and quality ecotourism experiences.

Ecotourism Australia recently added ROC (Respect Our Culture) Certification for Indigenous Tourism operators and Climate Action Australia Certification to help the tourism industry work towards a more sustainable future.

In 2008, Ecotourism Australia was awarded the prestigious World Travel and Tourism Council “Tourism for Tomorrow” Award for Conservation at the World Tourism Summit in recognition of Ecotourism Australia’s significant contribution to the conservation and preservation of natural heritage.