Tourism is Your Business

Perhaps the greatest threat over a sustainable future for Australia’s protected areas is that posed by climate change. Warnings of significant species loss in bio-regions such as the Wet Tropics, flooding in Kakadu and the effective death of the Great Barrier Reef through coral bleaching paints an extremely worrying scenario. The time scale of these potential futures ranges from 15 to 50+ years. In a world where even a ten year forward plan is rare, the concept of planning for 50+ years is almost impossible to imagine.

There are opportunities for protected area managers, both government and non-government to contribute to the Australia’s response to climate change and to significantly benefit as a result. Protected Areas already play an important role in sequestration of carbon. This role could be dramatically increased through a deliberate and proactive strategy of acquiring and rehabilitating degraded lands, establishing connectivity between forested islands and including them in the protected area estate.

There is increasing community concern about the proliferation of carbon credit schemes. You are left wondering ‘who exactly am I giving my money to?’ There is a real opportunity and need for Australia’s protected areas to create a fully audited and credible carbon offset program that directs money directly into the expansion of Australia’s protected area estate. Under this concept funds generated would be directed into catchment protection but at the same time the scheme would deliver carbon capture. For example, rehabilitation of riparian zones adjoining the Great Barrier Reef would reduce land-based pressures on the Reef and improve its resilience to climate change from other threats such as water temperature increases.

Such a scheme would also enable international and domestic tourists and tour operators to contribute to the offset scheme thus providing a direct relationship between their travel and protection of the iconic resources they visit.
Australia could link its climate change response to the symbiotic relationship between its natural heritage, tourism and climate change initiatives.

I will be addressing this issue in the upcoming Parks and Protected Area Management Congress (PPAMcon) which I am convening later this year. Please contact me on tony@tonycharters.com if you would like to contribute to the development of the PPAMcon agenda.

Tony Charters

The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area generates almost $426 million worth of tourism per year due to more than 910,000 visitors staying on average for over three days and spending $147.41 per day. The research published by the Rainforest Cooperative Research Centre is based on over 800 international and domestic visitor surveys conducted at Lake Barrine, Mossman Gorge, Skyrail and the Marrdja Boardwalk in the Daintree. The study aims to establish a baseline to assist with future tourism planning and management of the World Heritage Area.

Further information: http://www.wettropics.gov.au/res/res_tourism.html

The World Tourism Organisation Compendium of Tourism Statistics is designed to provide a condensed and quick-reference guide on the major tourism statistical indicators in each country. The 2007 edition provides statistical information on tourism in 208 countries and territories around the world for the period 2001–2005.

Further information: http://www.world-tourism.org/

The skills base of respondents was diverse, but lay predominantly in the areas of driving heavy vehicles, building trades and labour, as well as health (including paramedical, child and aged care) and engineering. Approximately ¾ of the skills base was current. Approximately 28.5% of respondents felt they needed/wanted skills updating. Sixty-three percent of members identify with the ‘mature age’ special needs employment group.

Approximately 56.7% of all respondents were interested in undertaking paid work in some form while travelling and over half of these had no major concerns regarding this idea. This group indicated retail and office work, rural/fruit picking, building trades/labour, health and cleaning as key skill areas of use in rural and remote communities.

Source: Grey Nomads - A potential mobile workforce, Stage 1 Summary Report. Prepared for: Department of Education, Training and the Arts and Tourism Queensland in collaboration with the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia.

Grey Nomad Profile: Click Here

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway has retained its title as the only Australian company to have achieved certified status under Green Globe 21. Skyrail was the first tourist attraction in the world to be certified in 2002 and to retain its status, Skyrail participates in external audits on its environmental performance including energy consumption, water consumption, waste sent to landfill, waste recycling, community contributions, stormwater management, paper products, cleaning products and pesticide products.
Further information: http://www.skyrail.com.au/accreditations.html

Further information: http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/company/profile/environment.aspx

The mentor program aims to accelerate the establishment of support networks, develop a learning community for the new trainees and very importantly, pass on the pearls of wisdom from presenters to the new recruits.

Each mentor is assigned to around 12 trainees to be their first point of contact for initial questions about the training. The mentors then make a one year commitment to the trainees guiding them as they go out and begin to give their presentations. Two to three members of the trainee group will then be identified to act as future mentors for people in subsequent trainings.

Tony will attend the next Al Gore led program in Melboune, The Climate Project - Australia, in September 2007 where new recruits will be trained.

A draft New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 is currently being developed between the private sector, Maori and government in New Zealand. Released in 2001, the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2010 is being updated to provide an overarching vision for the entire tourism sector. As tourism is New Zealand's largest export earner, the strategy aims to ensure the financial success of business, satisfaction of customers, protection and enhancement of the physical environment and support of communities.

Further information: http://www.nztourismstrategy.com/

The Victorian Government have launched a draft Nature-based Tourism Strategy 2007-2011. The strategy aims to increase the profile of nature-based tourism in Victoria by ensuring a coordinated approach to policy, planning, sustainable development and marketing. The five year strategy which was allocated $6.3 million over four years in the 2007 State Budget is being jointly led by Tourism Victoria, Parks Victoria and the Department of Sustainability and Environment.

Further information: http://www.tourismvictoria.com.au/naturebasedtourism

A new tourism benchmark is set for Australia

An exclusive world class luxury resort will open on Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef at the end of August this year. To be named Qualia, the resort is an important addition to the premium end of the Australian accommodation market and will provide a new reason for domestic and international travellers to re-look at Australia as a destination for their next luxury getaway.

Two to three hours non-stop flight time from Australia’s major east coast cities Qualia is located on the secluded and breathtakingly beautiful northernmost point of the island and marks the latest commitment by owners, Bob Oatley and his family, to the revitalisation of this stunning Whitsundays destination.

Further information: www.qualiaresort.com.au

Tony Charters and Associates provided a submission to Commonwealth Tourism Minister Fran Bailey’s Action Plan on Climate Change.

Bringing perspectives gained as a protected area manager, sustainable tourism operator and National Chair of the Eco-certification program Tony expanded on three themes:

• preparing the tourism industry for Climate Change response;
• a credible carbon offset programs directed to protecting and expanding Australia’s parks and reserves; and
• Climate Change certification for the tourism industry.

The submission called for the government and tourism industry to respond positively and decisively on Climate Change.

The summit's overall goal is to explore and develop business opportunities for the expansion of trade, investment and strategic linkages, within the leisure marine, waterfront development, urban renewal and sustainable tourism sectors.

Of particular interest is the introduction of a Sustainable Tourism stream in the 2007 program, bringing into focus issues of sustainability of the tourism industry and destinations as they relate specifically to city destinations rather than the traditional focus on natural and remote areas.

Leading human rights lawyer and world renowned QC Geoffrey Robertson of Hypotheticals fame will set the scene for the Summit as he moderates a panel of city and industry leaders to debate topics such as: What issues will affect Asia Pacific Cities in 2026? How will our cities cope with rapid population growth, infrastructure challenges and advancing technology?

Adding to the depth of the Summit’s program is Molly Harriss Olson - Director of Eco Futures Pty Ltd, an Australian-based international policy firm working on building sustainable strategies with business, government and civic leaders. Ms Olson is the Convenor of the National Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development, and an internationally recognised leader on sustainability. Ms Olson has extensive experience in Australia, the US and Sweden in bringing together industry and business leaders to tackle issues of Sustainable Development. In 2003 Ms Olson brought Al Gore to Australia for his first visit as the keynote at the National Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development.

Also part of the Summit program is well known Business Analyst, Property Advisor, Media Commentator, Consumer and Cultural Trends Commentator and Author Bernard Salt. He has established a position within corporate Australia as an adviser and as a commentator on consumer, cultural and demographic trends. He is the author of a best-selling book The Big Shift launched in July 2001. Bernard will identify key consumer, cultural and demographic emerging trends within the Asia Pacific region, the trends that will shape Asia Pacific cities and future scenarios for cities, with a particular emphasis on the outlook and implications for business over the next two decades.

To date, much of the focus on increasing tourism sustainability has related to nature-based and smaller regional destinations. However we know that larger regional centres and cities play a vital role in the tourism industry as both gateways to regional destinations and destinations in their own right. The Asia Pacific region is home to some of the world’s iconic cities and major tourism destinations.

Tony Charters worked with the Asia Pacific Cities Summit secretariat to develop this program and will contunue the Sustainable Toursim stream of the Summit.

This Plenary session is specifically designed to inform and challenge delegates on topics relating to Sustainable Tourism Future Directions for Cities through keynote presentations and opportunities for interactive discussions with speakers.

Richard Register - one of the world's great theorists and authors in ecological city design and planning. Richard believes cities can contribute to humanity's creative and compassionate evolution on a healthy Earth, in an exciting and rewarding built community from village to town and city scale. We can build it, and he will share with delegates how.

The full registration cost for attendance at this session is $500, however subscribers of Tourforce have access to a heavily discounted price of $295 (and full time students $145).

To register for this session please visit: http://www.managementsolutions.net.au/register.html

For more information on the Session, please contact Jessica Shelton of Management Solutions:
Ph: (07) 3210 0021
Email: info@managementsolutions.net.au

For further information on the Summit: http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/apcs

The 2007 North American Conference on Ecotourism will be held from 26 to 28 September in Madison, Wisconsin organised by the International Ecotourism Society. The three-day conference will bring together hundreds of ecotourism experts, government officials and travel industry practitioners involved in or working towards responsible tourism.
Further information: http://www.ecotourismconference.org/

The World Tourism Organization will hold the second International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism in Switzerland from 1-3 October 2007. The Conference is organized together with United Nations Environment Programme and supported by the World Economic Forum. Climate change is a key issue for policymakers worldwide and tourism is an important element of discussions. The conference is targeting stakeholders from the public and private sector and representatives from the civil society.

Further information: http://www.climate.unwto.org/

Notably, Dr Keith Suter will make a presentation on Understanding and Capitalising on the Ever-changing Political, Social and Economic Environment.
Also on the bill is Oliver Freeman, managing director of the Neville Freeman Agency, who is highly regarded for his leadership in developing future-focused strategy, using scenario planning and other foresight techniques.

In his keynote address “All You Need to Know About the Future – in 15 minutes!” Mr Freeman will identify 15 disruptive shifts which will impact on regional development in the next 15 years.

Adding international expertise is Bob McNulty, President of Partner for Liveable Communities in the US, which he founded 30 years ago. Mr McNulty presents Crossing the Line: team building for regional cooperation in global economy.

The conference will run concurrently with a comprehensive schedule of climate change topics, including practical workshops on planning and adaptation tools.

To register for the conference please go to www.segra.com.au/segra
For the full Media Release Click Here

The Ecotourism Australia annual national conference is the major ecotourism event of the year, with the 2007 conference program providing delegates with the opportunity to examine and debate significant state, national and international issues impacting on nature based and cultural tourism. The delegation will be invited to formulate real resolutions to key issues, and to effectively chart a course for the industry for the coming year.

For more information please visit: http://www.ecotourism.org.au/conference/index.asp