Australia International Ecotourism Conference: ‘A world of difference’

Thursday, 19 Sep, 2002 0

The International Australian Ecotourism Conference in Cairns (21-25 October) will be wrapping up the events the International Year of Ecotourism, particularly in relation to policy, planning, operation, business, marketing and awareness for the future development of ecotourism.

The conference theme “Ecotourism – a world of difference” aims to capture the diversity of ecotourism globally.

Diversity, represented through cultural and natural heritage, scale, capacity to supply ecotourism and quality is a major feature of ecotourism. From this diversity the organisers aim to examine points of common experience, interest and need. In particular the Cairns conference will build on the work of the preparatory meetings and forums of the World Ecotourism Summit and the Quebec City Declaration on Ecotourism to draft a Cairns Charter on Public, Private Partnerships for Ecotourism.

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) the World Tourism Organization (WTO), Conservation International and the Rainforest Alliance have officially endorsed the conference as institutional supporters.

The conference will offer over 100 keynote presentations, workshops and panel discussions. The conference will also include a selection of full day field trips (reef, rainforest and attractions) where delegates can experience first hand the variety of Accredited ‘best practice’ ecotourism products available in the area.

Keynote speakers will include diplomat Richard Butler, Geoffrey Lipman, Special advisor to sect general of wto, author and museum director Dr Tim Flannery, eco-traveller and television presenter Sorrel Wilby and indigenous leader Noel Pearson, as well as a number of key ecotourism and environmental luminaries from around the world.

The organisers of the conference hope it will produce a ‘Cairns Charter on Public/Private Partnerships in Ecotourism’ and to ratify the ‘International Ecotourism Standard’, based on the partnership of Green Globe 21 and the ‘Nature and Ecotourism Accreditation Program’ (NEAP), administered by Ecotourism Australia.

To register, or to view the full conference program, go to: www.ecotourism.org.au/conf2002.