Ecotourism NZ Conference, August 2007

[ecotourismnz]

ECOTOURISMNZ CONFERENCE
Tai Poutini Polytechnic, on the West Coast of New Zealand, is hosting the Ecotourism NZ conference in Greymouth from 1 to 3 August 2007. Share and explore ideas about ecotourism, debate the issues affecting it and learn how to make the most of this exciting growth industry.

CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the conference are to:

Examine the growing interest in ecotourism in New Zealand and understand some of the issues facing the industry
Provide an environment for debate and discussion amongst operators and industry participants
Review global trends and the impact these will have on ecotourism in New Zealand
Develop strategies to grow and develop the ecotourism sector to deliver the 100% Pure promise

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Keynote speakers include:
Alistair McCracken
Chairman Ecotourism Australia
http://www.ecotourism.org.au
Ron Mader
Founder of Planeta.com
http://www.planeta.com
Cam McLeay
Adrift Adventure Co. and Wildwaters Reserve Uganda
http://www.adrift.ug/newsite/index.php

Conference Information
Visit the Ecotourism NZ web site to find out more about the conference http://www.ecotourismnz.com/ecotourism/conference-2007/

Conference Registrations
Registrations are available online http://www.ecotourismnz.com/ecotourism/conference-registration/

Conference Program
http://www.ecotourismnz.com/content/library/Ecotourism_NZ_programme_draft_v25.pdf

[ecotourismnz]

Australia and NZ partnership key part of Ecotourism NZ
Conference 07
This year’s Ecotourism NZ Conference will examine a range of issues affecting New Zealand’s small but burgeoning ecotourism industry.

The annual conference is being hosted by Tai Poutini Polytechnic from 1 to 3 August. It aims to enhance New Zealand’s ecotourism industry by highlighting success stories and debating key issues around the sector, including how best to promote and manage it.

Discussion topics include certification, how to deliver the 100% Pure promise, visitor expectations of cultural tourism and the impact of carbon emissions on our tourism industry.

Ecotourism NZ chairman Brian MacKenzie says a large part of this year’s event will focus on how Australia and New Zealand can work together to benefit their ecotourism industries.

A key speaker is Ecotourism Australia chairman, Alistair McCracken, who will present an Australian perspective on Ecotourism.

“We’re looking forward to working with Ecotourism Australia and finding out how we can support each other,” Brian says. He says of particular interest is Australia’s certification programme and how it might relate to New Zealand operators. “Our ecotourism sector consists mostly of small, niche businesses and so our operators will need a solution that doesn’t require too much in terms of compliance, time and money.”

Brian says the conference is an opportunity for operators to discuss how they would like to see the industry developed and the role, if any, certification might play.

Ecotourism certification options will be presented at the conference by Qualmark’s head of Assessment Services, Nicola Smith, Green Globe’s Business Development Manager, Chris Tobias, and Ecotourism Australia chairman, Alastair McCracken.

Representatives from Tourism New Zealand and the Department of Conservation, international environmental experts and leading tourism operators will also address the conference.

Conference co-ordinator Sarah Caseley says the aim of this year’s conference is to develop strategies to support and grow ecotourism operations in New Zealand.

“The new web site www.ecotourismnz.com was developed as one of the outcomes from last year’s conference and this year we plan to utilise the web site as a communications medium for operators and the industry,” Sarah says. “We hope operators will make use of this tool and give us feedback on how they’d like www.ecotoursimnz.com to evolve.”

West Coast-based Ecotourism NZ is New Zealand’s foremost centre for ecotourism education and industry-based training. It was initiated by Tai Poutini Polytechnic in 2002 as a centre of excellence to support the ecotourism sector through education, training and business support
initiatives.

[planeta]

2007 ecotourism nz conference countdown
http://tinyurl.com/2nw38m

[ecotourismnz]

Ecotourism NZ Conference Speaker Abstracts
All speaker abstracts can be found on the web site:
http://www.ecotourismnz.com/ecotourism/presenter%2Dabstracts/

Ron Mader
Keynote speaker
Planeta.com founder

Global perspective of ecotourism- listening to visitors and locals
Ecotourism means something different to everyone and in this review Ron discusses the ways to engage visitors and locals. He presents an overview of the key issues that are being discussed around the world, including the heated debate on carbon emission offsetting tourism; the role awards play in developing awareness; and how the web is being used for distance learning. Results from the recent Planeta.com survey on the five-year review of the International Year of Ecotourism will be included, as well as proposals for using grassroots events and Web 2.0 technology as a tool to connect visitors and locals.

Alastair McCracken
Keynote speaker
Ecotourism Australia
http://www.ecotourism.org.au

From eco-battlers to national tourism brand
Alastair will speak about how Ecotourism Australia is surfing the sustainability tsunami. This is riding the great shift to sustainability by the mainstream industry, and maintaining the authenticity of "eco" products.

He will explore the generation of the ecotourism industry in Australia, and the role of Ecotourism Australia's ECO accreditation scheme in the development of Australia's Green Travel brand.

Ecotourism Australia is regarded by many as the operators of the world's leading certification programme. Alastair will explore the ECO accreditation programme and its role and relevance to the broader tourism industry, and to Australia's national branding and marketing efforts.
Issues addressed will include:

What lessons can be learned from the transition from a sector dominated by small and medium enterprise operators, to larger operators seeking to own the space. And what to be cautious of along the way.
How does the small, committed and passionate collective of eco tourism operators gain traction in a crowded market place?
How will Ecotourism Australia's brand and accreditation program respond to the "green-ification” -legitimate or green wash - of the tourism industry

Cam McLeay
After dinner speaker
http://www.adrift.ug

Wildwaters Reserve
The mighty Nile slips quietly from Lake Victoria in equatorial Uganda, and then leaps into a series of huge rapids and thunders amidst heavily forested islands. The young river offers protection to a unique, yet fragile, eco-system supporting some of the most fascinating bio-diversity on earth. However, along the banks of the river, hundreds of communities live in poverty, healthcare and basic necessities are in short supply, the population is exploding and they see little value in protecting this remarkable eco-system. How can we preserve this ecosystem without adversely affecting the immediate neighbours?

[planeta]

The 2007 Ecotourism NZ Conference has begun in Greymouth, New Zealand. I would rank this as one of the best organized events I have attended. Presentations, break-out sessions, entertainment are all first-rate and the participants are all engaged stakeholders. The Maori welcome ceremony was awesome.a

Among my personal highlights were meeting the organizers at the Poly. Kudos to Brian and Sarah and their entire team for preparing such a terrific event. Also I am pleased to note I have met long-time correspondents Micha Lueck and Anna Carr.

The presentation from New Zealand's Minster of Tourism Demian O'Connor was excellent and we will be highlighting the national tourism strategy and related documents in depth on Planeta.com.

On the table is a rough idea of conducting real-time chats with colleagues in New Zealand and Australia in the month of September. More details about this proposal and other reflections soon.

[planeta]

The presentations I made at the Ecotourism New Zealand Conference can be downloaded online
http://www.slideshare.net/planeta/globa ... ecotourism
http://www.slideshare.net/planeta/web-20-and-ecotourism

More news about the event

Ecotourism Conference Sets Challenge For New Zealand
http://www.etbmice.com/article.asp?articleid=460

Softly, softly at the eco lodge
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/sto ... d=10457506

[planeta]

Many of the presentations are online in pdf and word format, linked from the event program
http://www.ecotourismnz.com/ecotourism/2007-programme

Also worth a look are the conference outcomes
http://www.ecotourismnz.com/ecotourism/outcomes2007

Conference photos by Tom Walter
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomwalter/ ... 1707536577

Many of the participants are continuing the discussion online
viewforum.php?f=103

[planeta]

Delegate Feedback from Conference 2007
http://www.ecotourismnz.com/ecotourism/ ... rence2007/

A conference questionnaire was developed to gather information to assess the conference as well as finding out about what delegates would like for future conferences and what kind of services that they would like to receive from Ecotourism NZ.

A total of 58 responses were received from delegates, a 44% response rate.

Full report in PDF
http://www.ecotourismnz.com/content/lib ... dback_.pdf