Sustainable Travel

Special Workshops, Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award
Ceremony To Be Hosted at This Year’s ESTC, Portland, Oregon USA, Sept 8-10

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) is pleased to collaborate with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to host the following three events during the upcoming Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC): Global Perspective Workshop “Biodiversity and Our Lives” on Wednesday, September 8th; Award Ceremony for the 2010 Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website (ITBW) Award on Friday, September 10th, and ITBW Web 2.0 Workshop on Saturday, September 11th.

Global Perspective Workshop: Biodiversity and Our Lives will be held on Wednesday, September 8th, 2010, from 12:30-2:00pm at Hilton Portland (Galleria South). Highlighting various global initiatives around the International Year of Biodiversity and the roles of biodiversity in our lives, this workshop will feature key examples of wildlife conservation, environmental education and awareness-raising efforts relevant to travelers and the tourism industry alike. This workshop is free and open to the public.

The workshop will feature the following expert presenters:

Oliver Hillel is Programme Officer for the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an international treaty (entered into force in December 1993) to sustain the rich diversity of life on Earth. Prior to joining the Secretariat, Oliver Hillel was Project Team Leader in Palawan, the Philippines, producing a provincial master plan for sustainable tourism development and building capacity of local governments and businesses.

Jenny Gray is the Chief Executive Officer of Zoos Victoria which operates three zoos in Melbourne, Australia. Zoos Victoria has embarked on an ambitious, new strategic direction, - to transform into a conservation organization. Zoos Victoria is committed to ensuring that every undertaking will bring about net conservation gain: through working with animals (both in captivity and in the wild), and empowering visitors and communities to take actions that will assist wildlife.

Dr. Wallace J. Nichols is Co-Founder of SEE Turtles, and has been a leading ocean conservationist for over 15 years. He is a Research Associate at the California Academy of Sciences, Former President of the International Sea Turtle Society, and Eastern Pacific Co-Chair for the IUCN’s Marine Turtle Specialists Group. He cofounded Ocean Revolution and WiLDCOAST, two international advocacy groups.

The Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award (ITBW) is a collaborative effort between CBD and Planeta.com, with the support of the Heidehof Foundation. The competition highlights the contributions of Indigenous operators to biological and cultural diversity, and recognizes best practice examples of innovative use of online communication tools and web technologies. Applicants from 10 countries around the world (Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mexico, Micronesia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sweden) entered the 2010 ITBW Award, and the following operators have been selected as this year’s winners.

Nutti Sami Siida (Winner, 2010 ITBW Award) features reindeer sled trips and excellent nature and culture tours in Sweden. Owners Nils Torbjörn Nutti and Carina Pingi are both Sami from Gabna Sameby and work with experienced and knowledgeable guides who ensure the quality.

TIME Unlimited Tours (Winner, 2010 ITBW Popular Vote Award) from New Zealand, operated by the Maori-European couple Ceillhe Tewhare Teneti Hema Sperath and Néill Sperath, provides personalised and interactive Auckland and Maori Indigenous Cultural Tours.

TIES is pleased to welcome Neill and Ceillhe Sperath of TIME Unlimited Tours and Nils Torbjörn Nutti, Carina Pingi of Nutti Sami Siida, and Joe Doherty of Te Urewera Treks (Finalist, 2010 ITBW Award), who will be joining the ESTC in September, and attending the ITBW award ceremony to be held during the Closing Reception on Friday, September 10, 2010. The ITBW delegates will also be joining the ITBW Web 2.0 Workshop, which allows participants to get a hands-on experience of Web 2.0 channels for immediate and inexpensive communication, including genuine conversations and guerrilla marketing.

Registration for the ESTC 2010 is available at: http://www.ecotourismconference.org/register.

Posted by BrianM at 9:12 AM | Permalink

Special Workshops, Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award
Ceremony To Be Hosted at This Year’s ESTC, Portland, Oregon USA, Sept 8-10

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) is pleased to collaborate with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to host the following three events during the upcoming Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC): Global Perspective Workshop “Biodiversity and Our Lives” on Wednesday, September 8th; Award Ceremony for the 2010 Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website (ITBW) Award on Friday, September 10th, and ITBW Web 2.0 Workshop on Saturday, September 11th.

Global Perspective Workshop: Biodiversity and Our Lives will be held on Wednesday,
September 8th, 2010, from 12:30-2:00pm at Hilton Portland (Galleria South). Highlighting
various global initiatives around the International Year of Biodiversity and the roles of biodiversity in our lives, this workshop will feature key examples of wildlife conservation,
environmental education and awareness-raising efforts relevant to travelers and the tourism
industry alike. This workshop is free and open to the public.

The workshop will feature the following expert presenters:

Oliver Hillel is Programme Officer for the Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD), an international treaty (entered into force in December
1993) to sustain the rich diversity of life on Earth. Prior to joining the Secretariat,
Oliver Hillel was Project Team Leader in Palawan, the Philippines, producing a
provincial master plan for sustainable tourism development and building capacity of
local governments and businesses.

Jenny Gray is the Chief Executive Officer of Zoos Victoria which operates three
zoos in Melbourne, Australia. Zoos Victoria has embarked on an ambitious, new
strategic direction, - to transform into a conservation organization. Zoos Victoria is
committed to ensuring that every undertaking will bring about net conservation gain:
through working with animals (both in captivity and in the wild), and empowering
visitors and communities to take actions that will assist wildlife.

Dr. Wallace J. Nichols is Co-Founder of SEE Turtles, and has been a leading ocean
conservationist for over 15 years. He is a Research Associate at the California
Academy of Sciences, Former President of the International Sea Turtle Society, and
Eastern Pacific Co-Chair for the IUCN’s Marine Turtle Specialists Group. He cofounded
Ocean Revolution and WiLDCOAST, two international advocacy groups.

The Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award (ITBW) is a collaborative effort
between CBD and Planeta.com, with the support of the Heidehof Foundation. The competition
highlights the contributions of Indigenous operators to biological and cultural diversity, and
recognizes best practice examples of innovative use of online communication tools and web
technologies. Applicants from 10 countries around the world (Australia, Bolivia, Canada,
Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mexico, Micronesia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sweden) entered the 2010
ITBW Award, and the following operators have been selected as this year’s winners.

Nutti Sami Siida (Winner, 2010 ITBW Award) features reindeer sled trips and excellent nature
and culture tours in Sweden. Owners Nils Torbjörn Nutti and Carina Pingi are both Sami from
Gabna Sameby and work with experienced and knowledgeable guides who ensure the quality.

TIME Unlimited Tours (Winner, 2010 ITBW Popular Vote Award) from New Zealand,
operated by the Maori-European couple Ceillhe Tewhare Teneti Hema Sperath and Néill Sperath, provides personalised and interactive Auckland and Maori Indigenous Cultural Tours.

TIES is pleased to welcome Neill and Ceillhe Sperath of TIME Unlimited Tours and Nils
Torbjörn Nutti, Carina Pingi of Nutti Sami Siida, and Joe Doherty of Te Urewera Treks (Finalist,
2010 ITBW Award), who will be joining the ESTC in September, and attending the ITBW
award ceremony to be held during the Closing Reception on Friday, September 10, 2010. The
ITBW delegates will also be joining the ITBW Web 2.0 Workshop, which allows participants to
get a hands-on experience of Web 2.0 channels for immediate and inexpensive communication,
including genuine conversations and guerrilla marketing.

Registration for the ESTC 2010 is available at: http://www.ecotourismconference.org/register.

Posted by BrianM at 9:12 AM | Permalink

The International Ecotourism Society’s New Award Recognizes Innovation Leaders Uniting Conservation, Communities and Sustainable Travel

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), as part of a series of initiatives commemorating the 20th anniversary of the founding of the world’s oldest and largest association dedicated to promoting ecotourism, has launched the annual Innovation Leadership in Sustainable Tourism Awards to recognize and honor accomplishments by sustainable tourism leaders and pioneers.

The Innovation Award has been created by TIES to recognize those individuals and organizations who demonstrate leadership in innovative actions that effectively promote sustainable tourism and bring tangible benefits to communities and conservation. The Award winners – one individual and one organization – will be honored for their best practices and innovative actions, judged based on one example of an innovative project, product, or program developed in the previous year that supports the goal of uniting communities, conservation, and sustainable travel.

“Throughout the history of TIES,” says Dr. Kelly Bricker, Chair of TIES Board of Directors, “we have been working with our members from around the world towards the goal of uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. TIES Innovation Award offers a unique opportunity to share tangible examples of the importance of this goal, and to honor those who are driving positive change through leadership in conservation efforts and travel product development. It really is a wonderful opportunity to honor those making a difference.”

Nominations are being accepted now for the 2010 TIES Innovation Awards. Nominations must be received no later than Midnight Monday, August 2, 2010 US Pacific Daylight Time. The winning two finalists will be honored at the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC), being held from September 8-10, 2010, Portland, Oregon, USA. The Innovation Award Presentation Ceremony will be held annually during the ESTC, to be hosted by TIES and ESTC sponsors. More information on TIES Innovation Awards and nomination instructions are available at: www.ecotourism.org/innovation-awards.

Posted by BrianM at 2:48 PM | Permalink