More than 100 people participated in the 2007 Ecotourism
NZ Conference held in Greymouth
August 1-3, 2007. Tai
Poutini Polytechnic hosted the 5-star event.
Planeta.com gives the event a top rating, because the event
accomplished the following:
Locals were included in the development of the program
The event bridged academic, business and government sectors
The event attracted stakeholders from around the country and
provided a great venue for interaction (many of the participants
commented that being out of cellphone reach was a plus).
Conference presentations and outcomes are archived online
(see below).
The conference prompted the Ecotourism
Challenges E-Dialogue
REFLECTIONS
In the New Zealand Listener article Melting
Away, Dave Hansford recounts a popular anecdote he heard
at the conference: "The owner of a South Island backpackers
getting grief from German tourists for not providing recycling
facilities. So, eager to please, he puts out three multi-coloured
bins for plastic, glass and paper. Come 10 o'clock when everyone
has checked out, he takes them around the back and throws
them all in the same skip, because there are no recycling
facilities on the Coast."
My questions - Is this a factual story? And what sort of
expectations should visitors have for the 'eco' in New Zealand?
DEFINITIONS
I was told at the beginning that the previous event the minister
of tourism admitted to not having a definition of ecotourism.
This year the minister did not shy away from a definition
but opted to focus his presentation (and the country's tourism
policy) on sustainable
tourism strategies.
WIRED/WIRELESS
A sideline benefit of the event was that it took place out
of cellphone range, allowing participants to focus on the
interaction
