Lorelle Schluter
Manager Sustainable Development and Policy – Tourism and Recreation Group, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Biography
John Sereni is a tourism strategist for Tourism Sunshine Coast and a member of the Education, Research and Development Board of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve. He has a long history within the tourism sector coming from snow resorts to beach resorts. He has completed a masters in tourism form Monash University and currently lives with his young family in Eumundi in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

Leveraging the Noosa Biosphere Reserve
In 2007, the area witinin the boundary of Noosa Shire was awarded Biosphere Reserve Status by UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere. The recognition gave the efforts of the community instant gratification for the years of work they had done to maintain and develop a sustainable community. However, the rewards of the status itself have not been quickly realised. As a tourism destination the status needed to be communicated to potential visitors. Even then, the concept of a Biosphere is not well understood and is currently not a major driver of consumer choice. A Biosphere Reserve is also a difficult concept to explain and understand. What then is the benefit of Biosphere status to Noosa's tourism industry? With consumers beginning to change behavior based on the green cradentials of a destination, this is the study of how the Noosa tourism operators and organisations are gearing to take advantage of this status in the first few years of designation.

Ms. Natasha Smith
Senior Industry Development Officer - Environmental Sustainability
Tourism NT

Biography
Natasha Smith has been involved in the Northern Territory tourism industry for five years. After working with one of Kakadu’s most established and iconic tourism businesses, she was appointed to the position of Tourism Services Officer with Kakadu National Park. In this role she was responsible for engaging with the tourism industry and managing the delivery of tourism services to commercial stakeholders. She also implemented a number of key tourism projects outlined in Kakadu’s Shared Tourism Vision, including the establishment of compulsory tour guide training and assisting the development and launch of the new brand for Kakadu.
Natasha joined Tourism NT in 2008 and is focused on enhancing the environmental sustainability of Northern Territory tourism operators. Her role is instrumental in positioning the NT as a leader in delivering environmentally responsible tourism experiences. Natasha has a Bachelor of Management (International Marketing) and spent six years as a marketing professional prior to entering the tourism industry. She also lectures in Sustainable Tourism at Charles Darwin University.

Outback Offsets: Greening Tourism in the Red Centre – a case study
In response to growing concerns among consumers about climate change and the environmental impact of long haul travel, Tourism NT launched a pilot carbon offset program called Outback Offsets. This pilot supported three tourism businesses in Central Australia to become carbon neutral for the financial year 2008/09. Key objectives of the program were to test the influence of carbon neutrality on consumer purchase decisions and to understand the process of establishing carbon offsetting within a tourism enterprise. Outback Offsets concluded in June 2009 and this presentation will share the experience and insights gained throughout the project.

Biography
Carl Solomon is the acting Director of Tourism and Partnerships for NSW National Parks and Wildlife (NPWS), which is part of the Department of Environment and Climate Change. His responsibilities include research, marketing and promotion, education and community programs, and business development and management across NSW’s national parks. Carl joined NPWS in 2001 as the Manager of International Programs where he helped to establish the first national park in East Timor. Carl has also worked for the United Nations and was the Executive Director of Olympic Aid, which raised funds and implemented programs for children in situations of disadvantage around the world. Carl has qualifications in finance, marketing and international relations.

Tourism in Protected Areas – NSW National Parks’ Experiences & Future Directions
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has a proud history of engagement with the tourism industry. Several hundred commercial operators provide accommodation and visitor services under leases and licences on National Parks. The diversity is staggering: ferry operators transport visitors to islands; hotel operators adapt heritage precincts for accommodation; B&B operators serve breakfast in quirky lighthouse accommodation; adventure tour guides lead expeditions into rugged country and top surfers lead surfing safaris to the best surf breaks on the coast. Numerous projects received tourism awards: Most notably “Telling Mungo’s Story”, and “Montague Island Tours”. Details are found at http://www2.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/parks.nsf/ ParkDiscovery?OpenAgent&;ParkKey=N0049 http://www.montagueisland.com.au/ NPWS recognises that commercial partners are integral to NSW nature and culture-based tourism and that legislative frameworks and organisational priorities have not necessarily optimised the result. This paper reviews selected case studies and describes current reforms to improve opportunities for commercial partners to provide sustainable, quality visitor and tourism experiences in NSW national parks.