Global Eco on Rottnest Island 16 - 18 November was the best ever according to many of the 200 delegates attending. Focusing on the theme of Navigating for Success delegates were treated to an amazing array on national and international speakers and participated in interactive forums throughout the program.
And what did some of the Global Eco delegates think of the conference?
"The inspirational location on Rottnest Island, and the truly inspiring and engaging speakers made for a great Global Eco Conference. Christmas Island was honoured and delighted to be part of such a quality program - thank you." Linda Cash, Marketing Manager Christmas Island.
"As Eco conferences go, you are not going to beat Global Eco for diverse and inspiring presentations, interesting and actionable insights, and valuable networking opportunities. Global Eco at Rottnest Island was one of the best organised conferences I have attended." Bruce Bromley, Chief Financial Officer, Soneva Group.
"What was impressive about this conference was the calibre of the speakers, panelists and the audience involvement. There was a myriad of Ecotourism subjects covered but each seemed to have just the right presenters and panelist to truly cover the subject at the level that sparked audience engagement." Paul Niederer Chief Executive Officer AASOB International.
Next year, Global Eco Asia-Pacific heads to Tasmania where ecotourism has been powering along with the opening of innovative and leading edge new tourism products.
To view the presentations from the 2015 conference, please visit: http://www.globaleco.com.au/conference-proceedings-2015.php
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TRANSPORT
Barbie and Ken Uniforms
In celebration of 95 years of flying, Qantas has launched a unique and slightly quirky pop-up exhibition at its Sydney Qantas Club featuring a collection of 44 Barbie and Ken dolls all wearing their own bespoke Qantas uniforms. The Barbie and Ken dolls will be flown around the world to visit major landmarks and will be photographed and shared socially to highlight Qantas' global network of international destinations.
Further information: http://www.qantas.com.au/qantas.com/
DESTINATION MARKETING
The unINDIAN Guide
Destination NSW has collated 'The unINDIAN Guide to Sydney' for visitors featuring some of the 23 locations used in the new film 'unINDIAN' starring cricket legend Brett Lee. The romantic comedy was filmed at locations across Sydney including the iconic Harbour, Coogee, Maroubra, the University of New South Wales, the Entertainment Quarter and the city's Indian food capital, Harris Park.
Further information: http://www.destinationnsw.com.au/news-and-media/media-releases/an-unindian-guide-to-sydney
Bond Campaign
VisitBritain is launching a global campaign in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios around the release of the new Bond film Spectre. The campaign aims to encourage 007 fans to choose Britain, the home of Bond, for their next holiday by using a mix of outdoor billboards, print, digital and social media across more than 60 countries. It is the third time VisitBritain has partnered with the Bond franchise to attract international visitors.
Further information: http://lovewall.visitbritain.com/en/1101/bond
DIGITAL MARKETING
Yuccies Guide
Global travel search engine Skyscanner has compiled a guide to the top 20 cities around the world that attract Yuccies - young urban creatives. The guide includes up-and-coming neighbourhoods in cities which contain galleries, cultural spaces, start-ups and designer offices.
Further information: http://www.skyscanner.com.au/news/20-cities-yuccies-around-world
Travel in Regional NSW
A new digital platform set to inspire travellers to visit regional NSW has been launched to increase visitation and expenditure to the State's inland communities. The inland digital platform also provides travellers with the ability to build personalised itineraries, based on rich content and a powerful booking engine. Funding for this project has been made available under the Regional Visitor Economy Fund administered by Destination NSW.
Further information: https://www.travelin.com.au/
ACCOMMODATION
Hip Camping
Hipcamp is an Airbnb for camping that enables private landowners to rent out their property, and lists every public campsite in the U.S. The platform enables private landowners to rent out their land to campers, and also offers comprehensive, searchable listings of all the 300,000 campsites in the U.S. All listings include photographs, information about amenities, activities and exact locations. Users can check pricing and availability and can use the secure platform to make bookings for campgrounds in national and state parks.
Further information: https://www.hipcamp.com/
Soap Aid
Leading accommodation provider Oaks Hotels & Resorts is pledging its support for Australian not-for-profit group Soap Aid which aims to reduce the number of deaths linked to a lack of sanitation through the recycling and redistribution of used soap products from hotels. Oaks Hotels & Resorts is one of Australia's largest self-contained, accommodation providers currently incorporating a portfolio of 52 properties spanning Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South and Western Australia as well as New Zealand, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.
Further information: http://www.soapaid.org
Refugee Hotel
Vienna's Magdas Hotel is a boutique hotel and social enterprise, providing employment and housing for young refugees alongside open minded guests. The boutique guesthouse doubles as a social enterprise, housing young refugees alongside affluent travellers. The hotel was launched by non-profit Caritas as a way to provide employment and housing to some of Austria's young refugees, while simultaneously raising awareness of their plight.
Further information: http://www.magdas-hotel.at/en/home/
PROTECTED AREAS
Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail
Construction is underway for the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail which will provide a new multi-day walking experience along the south west coast of Kangaroo Island. The five-day walking experience will be located in Flinders Chase National Park which features iconic landmarks such as the Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch. The walking trail will be complemented by four dedicated overnight camping areas and is scheduled to open in September 2016.
Further information: http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/Visiting/
Bushwalking/ki-wilderness-trail
CULTURAL TOURISM
Halal Visitor Guide
Tourism Australia and HalalTrip, a leading authority on Muslim-friendly travel, have unveiled a new visitor guide to attract and enhance the travel experience of Muslim tourists, especially those from Southeast Asia, to Australia. Available in English, the 68-page guide focuses on meeting the needs of Muslim travellers by helping them to discover the best places to visit, shop, dine and pray.
Further information: : http://www.halaltrip.com/downloadable-halal-travel-guides/
ADVENTURE TOURISM
National Adventures
National Geographic and award-winning tour operator G Adventures have joined forces to launch a new line of experiential trips to destinations all over the globe. The initial collection of 70 trips is designed for travellers who appreciate the freedom to roam, but seek the structure and security that comes with travelling in a group while connecting with local people and cultures.
Further information: http://press.nationalgeographic.com/2015/09/29/g-adventures-new-line-travel-experiences/
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
Water Measurement Tool
The International Tourism Partnership is collaborating with industry, economic and technical partners to create a standardised approach to measuring and communicating water consumption across the hotel industry. The water working group includes Carlson Rezidor, Diamond Resorts, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott, NH Hotel Group, Soneva, Starwood, Taj, Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, Whitbread and Wyndham.
Further information: http://www.greenhotelier.org/know-how-guides/water-management-and-responsibility-in-hotels/
RESEARCH
Passenger IT Trends Survey
The 10th annual Passenger IT Trends Survey co-sponsored by Air Transport World and SITA extends the scope to get a better understanding of the connection between technology use by passengers at different stages of their journey and their emotions at those stages. Findings are based on an online survey of nearly 6,000 respondents from 17 countries across the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Further information: http://www.sita.aero/resources/type/surveys-reports/passenger-it-trends-survey-2015
Traveller Decision Making Study
According to a consumer study commissioned by the American Society of Travel Agents, most leisure travellers use a professional travel agent to plan their trip to take the stress out of travelling. The 2015 Traveller Decision Making study, conducted by Lodestar Advisory Partners and sponsored by Carnival Cruise Lines, found that in the past 12 months, the typical customer is a younger more affluent male who travels frequently and alone.
Further information: http://www.asta.org/News/PRDetail.cfm?
ItemNumber=12960&navItemNumber=539
Benchmarking Report
The World Travel & Tourism Council has released a Benchmarking Report which shows the U.S. tourism industry directly supported 5.3 million jobs in 2014 and accounted for 8% of the national GDP. The report compares the economic impact of tourism against other primary U.S. business industry sectors including agriculture, automotive manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, banking, education, financial services, mining and retail.
Further information: http://www.wttc.org/research/economic-research/benchmark-reports/
POLICY & PLANNING
Adventure Guide Standard
A new global standard listing the essential competencies of an adventure travel guide has been published. The International Adventure Travel Guide Qualifications and Performance Standard helps travellers, companies and governments to evaluate the quality and sustainability of adventure travel. The standard is a voluntary guideline and was developed by an international group of stakeholders facilitated by the Adventure Travel Trade Association.
Further information: http://cdn.adventuretravel.biz/wp-content/uploads/
2015/09/ATTA_AdventureTravelGuideStandard-A4_04SEP15-R009.pdf
Tasteful Strategy
Tourism Western Australian has launched a strategy for food and wine tourism aimed at making the State one of the world's foremost culinary tourism destinations. The 'Taste 2020' strategy includes initiatives to improve the overall quality of service, develop and promote food and wine trails, expand Aboriginal cultural experiences, and cultivate the potential of other food and wine festivals.
Further information: http://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/About%20Us/
Our_strategies/Pages/Taste_2020_-_A_Strategy_for_Food_and_Wine_Tourism.aspx
CERTIFICATION & ACCREDITATION
Travelife Gold Certification
Set up in 2007 by leaders in the travel and tourism industry, Travelife is an international sustainability certification scheme for hotels and accommodations created to help holiday-makers find sustainable properties before booking their holiday. To gain Travelife Gold certification hotels must meet 150 sustainability criteria including environmental and social issues.
Further information: http://www.travelife.org/Hotels/landing_page.asp
Six Star Hospitality
A new study commissioned by Tourism Western Australia and Tourism Research Australia examines visitor centre use, importance, performance and opportunities in influencing tourist behaviour. The survey was conducted by Metrix Consulting at visitor centres and selected major tourist attractions in Western Australia. Results indicate that visitor centre use is needs-based with respondents stopping at centres when they were a first-time visitor to a location, unable to access sufficient information before arrival, or staying at a destination for more than one night.
Further information: : http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2015/10/8/
industry-partners-take-six-star-approach-to-job-training
CONFERENCES & EVENTS
Social Business Summit
The third annual Global Social Business Summit will be held at the GK Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan in the Philippines from 15 – 17 January 2016. Under theme 'The Business of Kindness – Doing Good Makes Good Business Sense,' the summit will focus on social innovation for greater inclusion in emerging economies.
Further information: http://www.socialbusinesssummit.net/2016
ASEAN Tourism Forum Heads to Philippines
Under the theme of 'One Community for Sustainability' the ASEAN Tourism Forum heads to Manila 18 - 25 January 2016.
The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations region as one tourist destination. Each year, the hosting of ATF is rotated among the member countries. ATF 2016 marks the 35th anniversary of this event since it's inauguration in Malaysia in 1981.
ATF aims to:
- Project ASEAN as an attractive, multi-faceted single destination
- Create and increase awareness of ASEAN as a highly competitive regional tourist destination in the Asia Pacific
- Attract more tourists to ASEAN member countries
- Promote intra-ASEAN travel
- Strengthen cooperation among the various sectors of the ASEAN tourism industry
As the annual convention of the ASEAN tourism industry, ATF promotes the exchange of ideas, review of industry developments and joint formulation of recommendations to further accelerate the growth of ASEAN tourism.
Adventure Travel & Responsible Tourism Conference
The Pacific Asia Travel Association will hold its annual Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart in Thailand from 17 - 19 February 2016. The three-day event will bring together tourism professionals to discuss issues and opportunities facing the adventure travel, responsible and sustainable tourism sectors.
Further information: https://www.pata.org/portfolio/atrtcm-2016/
WTTC Global Summit
The World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit will be held in Texas from 6 - 7 April 2016. The summit brings together hundreds of leaders from public sector organisations and private sector companies to discuss and tackle the most important issues in our industry.
Further information: http://www.wttc.org/summits/the-global-summit-2016/