Here you will find an overview of speakers at the various
Theme Stream Workshops.
A
- B
- C
- D
- E - F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L - M
- N - O
- P
- Q
- R
- S
- T - U
- V - W
- X - Y
- Z
Ms.
Courtney Adamson Digital
Content Manager, Tourism Queensland
14:30-14:50
Biography
Courtney
completed studies at the University of Queensland,
obtaining a Bachelor of Business Management
and Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental
Tourism.
Courtney joined Tourism Queensland in 2005
in Ecotourism Market Development team and
became the Digital Content Manager in 2009.
Previously she worked at O'Reilly's Rainforest
Retreat and has a love for all things green.
In her current role Courtney and her team
assist Queensland tourism operators to promote
their business to a global audience, through
the Australia Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW)
and targeted consumer content activities including;
content-driven websites, Eye on Q and Tourism
Queensland’s presence in the social
networking landscape.
When Courtney is not flying the flag for Tourism
Queensland, she enjoys swimming, yoga and
exploring the great outdoors…and of
course she always shares her experiences through
social networks!
Sharing
experiences through Social Media
Think
about your last holiday. Did you:
- plan where to stay using Google Maps?
- read consumer reviews before you booked?
- tweet about the bad airline food?
- update your facebook status to make your
friends jealous?
- share your trip photo album through Flickr?
- upload your videos to YouTube?
- write your own reviews on Tripadvisor?
People
now share almost everything they experience,
both good and bad, through social networks
and increasingly base their decisions on the
opinions of other holiday makers just like
them.
Anyone can say anything about you on the internet.
Tourism businesses need to monitor what is
being said and leverage off the conversations.
We will explore these behaviours, discuss
how operators can get involved and look at
how savvy ecotourism operators have engaged
with consumers and showcased their experiences
through social media channels such as Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, and Tripadvisor.
Ms.
Alysia Brandenburg Strategic Tourism Adviser, Parks Victoria
10:00-10:20
Biography
Alysia
has been with Parks Victoria for over ten
years and is currently the Strategic Tourism
Adviser in the corporate unit of Tourism Partnerships.
Alysia has worked in the tourism industry
for nearly twenty years commencing as Ballarat’s
first tourism officer. She has a Diploma of
Travel and Tourism as well as a Masters of
Tourism from Monash University. Within her
extensive portfolio Alysia manages the marketing,
product development and tourism industry liaison
for the very successful Parks Victoria experience
-the Great Ocean Walk.
The
Art of Walking
While
Victoria proudly ‘owns’ the brand
attributes of romance, food and wine, touring
and events, the state is not perceived as
having world-class natural attractions and
experiences. This challenge saw Tourism Victoria
and Parks Victoria develop a non-traditional
marketing campaign focussing on a the state's
premier nature-based tourism experience, the
Great Ocean Walk. A high-quality documentary,
‘The Art of Walking’, was produced
which follows three celebrity walkers as they
journey along the Great Ocean Walk. The celebrities
were selected for their appeal in key markets
for nature-based experience seekers. Also
profiled in the documentary were the unique
aspects of the Great Ocean Walk that resonate
with the comfort-in-nature experience seekers
such as food and wine and boutique accommodation.
Extensive use of the online environment, and
the quality of the documentary and associated
content means that the campaign has experienced
a global distribution beyond that possible
through traditional media buys.
Dr.
Noreen Breakey BBus
Tourism (Hons) (UQ), PhD (UQ) Lecturer - UQ School
of Tourism
09:00-09:20
Biography
Dr Breakey specialises in sustainable and
eco tourism, as well as destination management
planning and tourism/hospitality education.
She has over twenty years of experience
in hospitality and tourism, including industry,
government, teaching, and research. Her
research interest is in the sustainable
visitor usage of the world's existing, developing,
and potential tourism destinations.
Ecotourism
affects destination choice! A study of environmental
travel motivators to inform the development
and marketing of green tourism experiences
Shifts
within society regarding the natural environment
impact tourism destination choice. This
research investigates environmental themes
affecting travel motivations and holiday
selection. Building on the study conducted
in 1999, a revised survey was undertaken
in January 2010. For both studies, 60 respondents
from SEQ were interviewed, with equal representation
across six travel market segments. This
longitudinal comparative approach aims to
identify the travel motivations that are
consistent across the decade, as well as
changes in attitudes to environmental factors
over this time. Themes investigated include
ecotourism, ideal environmental settings,
and learning about the environment. The
recent study provides additional information
about aspects that were not relevant last
century, such as carbon free travel, spa
& wellness, and organic labelling. The
findings also illustrate the differences
between the genders across the each of the
market segments. Such results will assist
in both product development and the marketing
of green tourism experiences.
Mr.
Ben Bunting Senior Policy Adviser, Department of Sustainability
and Environment
09:20-09:40
A
'Whole of Public Land' Approach to Nature
Based Tourism
Protected areas such as national parks contain
some of Victoria’s iconic tourism destinations
and experiences. They also contain key recreation
sites for Victorians and visitors to experience
and enjoy.
The need to ensure that the natural and cultural
values of protected areas are maintained while
providing for recreation and tourism opportunities
is an ongoing challenge for governments and
land management agencies.
The Victorian Department of Sustainability
and Environment (DSE) has taken a ‘whole
of public land’ approach to providing
for nature based tourism on public land.
Through working with the tourism industry
and land management agencies, DSE has developed
and implemented policy that recognises the
role of both protected areas and other public
land categories in providing for and maximising
tourism opportunities on public land.
This presentation outlines Victoria’s
policy approach for enabling and improving
nature based tourism opportunities on public
land.
Biography
John
Cameron has practiced architecture since 1991,
driven by a passion for environmental design,
working in harmony with natural systems to
create buildings that are not only comfortable
to occupy but that also make fewer demands
on our natural resources.
Design Thinking:
Beyond sustainability into a positive future
He has a detailed practical understanding
of the application of sustainable development
principles, tools and techniques, gained through
hands-on experience from his projects and
a personal dedication to ongoing professional
development.
John has lectured and tutored on sustainable
design at the University of Queensland School
of Architecture, and regularly addresses design
forums in Australia and abroad. He is recognised
as a proficient consultant by Earth-Check
for their Precinct Planning and Design eco-tourism
standards, is registered to practice architecture
in the State of Queensland, Australia; is
a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects
(FRAIA); a member of the Australian Green
Development Forum (AGDF) and the Brisbane
Institute.
The notion of Design Thinking has come to
the fore over the past decade or so and is
now becoming part of the everyday business
lexicon. Like most newish concepts Design
Thinking means different things to different
people. Proponents of Design Thinking are,
in general, united by their ambition for design
to play a more strategic role in the world
than merely producing ‘eye-candy’.
Architect John Cameron provides a designer’s
perspective, including a succinct recap on
design theory. John believes that moving beyond
notions of sustainability into a future of
positive development will rely heavily on
our collective Design Thinking acuity. He
will outline how Design Thinking techniques
can make a significant difference to operators
looking for practical responses to sustainability
and climate change and how to apply the approach
to achieve business and environmental gains.
Mr.
Matt Cameron-Smith General Manager Trade Marketing, Tourism
Australia
11:20-11:40
There's
nothing like Australia Tourism
Australia’s new global marketing campaign
has been developed to involve Australians
because they are the experts on what makes
Australia unlike anywhere else. Research by
Tourism Australia also shows that Australians
are eager to get involved in promoting their
country, with 8 in 10 Australians saying they
know what makes their country unlike any other.
And 8 in 10 say they would help to promote
Australia to people overseas. The campaign
is a first. It combines the insight of Tourism
Australia’s 40 years of experience in
knowing what international tourists want,
and the Australian people’s knowledge
of what makes Australia special.
Prof.
Jack Carlsen Professor in Sustainable Tourism,
Curtin University
09:00-09:20
Biography
Professor
Jack Carlsen is currently Professor of Sustainable
Tourism at Curtin University, Western Australia
and Co-Director of the Curtin Sustainable
Tourism Centre. He has an excellent research
track record, which has produced more than
200 scholarly publications on various topics
related to tourism planning, markets, development
and evaluation. He has extensive experience
in sustainable tourism research projects and
was Leader of the Sustainable Enterprises
research program for the Sustainable Tourism
Co-operative Research Centre, providing leadership
in research project development, funding allocation,
project monitoring and reporting. He has strong
international links with universities in Asia,
Europe, and North America and is a Visiting
Professor at Napier University, Edinburgh
and also the Graduate School, School of Business,
Economics and Law, Göteborg University,
Sweden. Professor Carlsen has delivered keynote
lectures and conference presentations in China,
Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Maldives,
Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey, France, Spain,
Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Scotland,
Ireland, Canada, USA and Jamaica.
Ecotourism
Partnerships: Potentials and Pitfalls
Partnerships
for ecotourism can involve governments, NGOs,
universities, industry associations, destination
management organisations and business people
that each hold specific goals and objectives.
These may converge around specific social
or ecological goals which can be met through
ecotourism. However, despite this potential
for collaboration, many pitfalls need to be
avoided if successful partnerships are to
be developed.
Exemplification is perhaps the best way to
demonstrate both the potentials and the pitfalls
of ecotourism partnerships. This paper will
provide examples where successful partnerships
in ecotourism have been realised, as well
as expounding the problems that need to be
overcome in developing these partnerships.
Ecolodges Indonesia provides an example where
a research organisations, government agencies,
NGOs and business people can work towards
a common goal of wildlife conservation and
improving community livelihoods through ecotourism.
Mr.
Ray Carson Director, Corporate & Group
Xperiences Pty Ltd
10:00-10:20
Biography Ray
carson owner and director of Corporate &
Group Xperiences Pty Ltd a professional and
highly sucessful corporate adventure training
company currently facilitating around 40,000
people per annun with adventure training programs
and Xperiences over the last 4 years. having
now set up Australia first Segway ECO Xperience
here in Queensland after becoming an Authorised
Segway distributer in 2009.
Ray has history of designing and facilitating
unique Xperiences and events in Africa from
2001-2006 ranging from elephant capture programs
with Save the Elephant Foundation in Southern
Africa to East to West Africa adventure porgrams
for International groups before returning
to Australia in 2006 to set up his current
Xperiences company.
Xperiences is fast becoming one of QLD if
not Australia's leaders in groups Xperiences.
Segway ECO
Xperiences
| The
Segway Personal transporter initially designed
as an alternative form of urban transport
over ten years ago but has proven itself as
a tool in tourism internationally with over
360 Segway Authorised tours currently operating
successfully. In Australia due to the current
legislation of the segway being a non compliant
vehicle the urban use of these machines is
yet to come into fruition. However in the
Tourism industry in particular ECO tourism
they are fast becoming an industry itself
being able to access areas of varies terrain
with ease and with minimum impact we are now
able to take more people to more areas' without
the associated damage usually caused by an
increase in human access. Partnering with
several resorts and venues with the land to
explore we have found this particular use
of the segway to be huge success here in Australia
for both us as the tour operator as well as
the property owners where we currently operate
looking for that "new" idea to attract
clients This Segway Xperiences has so far
been picked up and featured by no less than
6 TV shows 3 magazines and numerous newspaper
articles and is rapidly spreading its network
across Australia with new operations about
to open in Tasmania, Melbourne, South Australia
and NT. The segway ECO Xperience is a unique,
sustainable, environmentally friendly Xperience
that ticks all the right boxes for all the
right reasons. The segway ECO Xperience is
a unique, sustainable, environmentally friendly
Xperience that ticks all the right boxes for
all the right reasons and working in partnership
with resorts, venues and property owners ensures
everyone involved benefits from the relationship.
Dr.
Paul Chantrill Manager Communities and Partnerships,
Wet Tropics Management Authority
14:10-14:30
Biography Paul
Chantrill is Manager of Communities and Partnerships
with the Wet tropics Management authority
where he leads the Authority's work in building
stakeholder relationships and engaging with
the wider community. A core focus of the program
work over the past years has been to re-establish
a strategic role for the authority in supporting
the development of nature-based, cultural
and sustainable tourism in the Wet Tropics
World Heritage area. Paul Chantrill previously
worked as Program Manager for Community and
Economic Development at Waikato regional Council
and is interested in government, industry
and community partnerships as key themes for
ensuring sustainable and appropriate development.
Paul has had several academic and consulting
positions in the field of community, engagement
and international community development.
Making World
Heritage matter: Wet Tropics Management Authority
partnership initiatives to enhance quality
of tourism and visitor experiences
The
Wet Tropics Management Authority (WTMA) has
taken the opportunity to build upon its Nature
Based Tourism strategy to become more directly
involved in tourism and working with the sector
to manage and promote sustainable tourism.
The Wet tropics case is one of emerging and
cooperative management approaches to tourism
in an area featuring outstanding heritage,
cultural and conservation values. This cooperative
approach is paying dividends by enabling us
to promote core heritage values and the features
of this landscape as industry itself embraces
products and experience based opportunities
for tourism that involve learning and experience
of the natural and cultural values and features
of the world heritage landscape. There are
increasing opportunities for tourism in the
region and for tour operators to offer tourism
experiences to meet increasingly discerning
and experience seeking travellers. One of
WTMA’s key roles is to help ‘raise
the bar’ for tour guides, to support
their professional development so they in
turn can help to inform, involve and mobilise
tourists and visitors seeking genuine learning
and quality experiences. We are providing
resources and learning opportunities for tour
guides through our development handbook, professional
networks and accreditation framework aimed
at raising the bar. These efforts compliment
our efforts to raise professional standards
through the development of a guide accreditation
framework and throughout opportunities to
link tourism development to WTMA values and
imperatives. Emerging visitor experiences
in conservation and volunteer tourism, natured-based
and cultural and educational tourism compliment
our world heritage management responsibilities
to help preserve, present, rehabilitate and
transmit core assets and values to new visitors.
Cultural tourism is an area where we have
particular focus in supporting a newly established
Indigenous tourism alliance that has been
established to provide focus and opportunity
experience seeking tourists the opportunities
to develop a deeper appreciation and understanding
of Indigenous cultural heritage values and
tourism products in the area. A number of
advantages flow from developing partnership
with tourism operators and industry players
in these experienced based niche markets.
WTMA is actively contributing to a more sustainable
tourism industry approach in the Wet tropics.
Not only does this help make the Wet Tropics
a more competitive destination particularly
in the international market place but also
supports the Authority achieve wider management
goals and values based on conserving, presenting
and involving people in securing world heritage
values.
Biography
Monique
is a corporate sustainability and climate
change advisor with a breadth of senior level
international experience across sectors as
diverse as mining, property and construction,
water and utilities, government and retail.
Monique has over ten years professional experience
in senior management roles in global consulting
firms, as well as ‘on the inside’
of mining, property and construction companies.
This includes substantial experience in corporate
sustainability strategy development and implementation,
environmental impact assessment, construction
environmental management, EHS management systems,
life cycle assessment, GHG assurance and climate
change strategy development and implementation.
Monique has most recently been responsible
for LEED Gold certification of a hotel in
Dubai.
The Right
Stuff - from nature to eco to sustainable
and back again
This paper presents a critique of the current
lethargy around the entrepreneurial view of
the business opportunities through implementing
sustainability. The aim is to challenge the
tourism industry to consider the successes
and failures in the retail sector, as that
sector is also most closely linked with consumer
demands and built on a trust relationship
with clients and along the entire supply chain.
The paper also highlights some of the misconceptions
inherent in current green tourism rating tools
and stresses the need for a whole-of-industry
commitment to providing a sustainable ecotourism
experience for customers.
The conclusion will provide an overview of
the mechanisms and tools to ensure the dual
fiduciary duty (i.e. the duty to shareholders
and the duty to the planet) of leading companies
are met by successful, sustainable eco-tourism
solutions.
Ecotourism
affects destination choice! A study of environmental
travel motivators to inform the development
and marketing of green tourism experiences
Shifts
within society regarding the natural environment
impact tourism destination choice. This research
investigates environmental themes affecting
travel motivations and holiday selection.
Building on the study conducted in 1999, a
revised survey was undertaken in January 2010.
For both studies, 60 respondents from SEQ
were interviewed, with equal representation
across six travel market segments. This longitudinal
comparative approach aims to identify the
travel motivations that are consistent across
the decade, as well as changes in attitudes
to environmental factors over this time. Themes
investigated include ecotourism, ideal environmental
settings, and learning about the environment.
The recent study provides additional information
about aspects that were not relevant last
century, such as carbon free travel, spa &
wellness, and organic labelling. The findings
also illustrate the differences between the
genders across the each of the market segments.
Such results will assist in both product development
and the marketing of green tourism experiences.
Mr.
Mark Cody Senior Ranger, Qld Parks & Wildlife
Service, Dept Environment and Resource Management
09:40-10:00
Biography Mark
Cody is a Senior Ranger with the Queensland
Parks and Wildlife Service, based at Maleny
in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
Mark has been intimately involved in the development
and subsequent management of both the Sunshine
Coast Hinterland and Conondale Range Great
Walks.
The experiences of route selection, community
consultation, track construction, Traditional
Owner liaison and commercial activities assessment
and management have provided an opportunity
to consider ecotourism experiences from many
angles.
Investigate
issues of developing and conducting ecotourism
experiences on Queensland protected area estate
using two Great Walks as a case study
The Great Walks project has seen the development
of 10 long distance walking tracks on Queensland
Parks and Wildlife Service estate. Two of
these walks are in the Sunshine Coast area.
The Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk has
been in operation for five years, and the
Conondale Range Great Walk has recently been
completed after three years in development.
The presentation will investigate the implications
of developing and maintaining the track infrastructure,
including financial and environmental. An
assessment of the user group will identify
the preferred "experience" of the
walks, and potential social and economic benefits.
A final cost benefit analysis will focus on
the utilisation levels of the walks, if "potential
experience" matches actual demand and
options for promotion of increased tourism
opportunities.
Mr.
Michael Collins General Manager, Karijini Eco Retreat
14:10-14:30
Biography
Currently
the General Manger of the Hospitality Group
of Companies, a diverse family owned group
who have interests in accommodation, tourism
and cinemas and, who have been in operation
in Western Australia since 1962. Michael oversees
a small portfolio of accommodation properties
throughout regional WA including the award
winning Karijini Eco Retreat; Michael is also
a director of the Eco Company Pty Ltd which
is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hospitality
Group.
Michael has been in the hospitality and tourism
industry for the past 20 years, managing hotels
for the Austotel hotel chain in Queensland,
the Swan Brewery in WA and was the Lessee
of the historic Castle Hotel in York, also
in WA for 10 years. Prior to his role with
the Hospitality Group he was the regional
manager WA/SA/NT for the international hotel
chain Best Western for a period of 4 years.
The Karijini Eco Retreat is 100% owned by
the Gumala Aboriginal Corporation and is managed
in partnership with the Eco Company Pty Ltd.
The retreat is located in the magnificent
Karijini National Park, previously the Hamersley
Ranges-1400 km North of Perth in Western Australia
and is the heart of states Pilbara region.
The retreat has quickly established itself
as a market leader in Environmental and Indigenous
tourism and is recognized as an innovative
and progressive employer and skills trainer
of indigenous people.
Through the Eco Company, Michael has also
consulted with number of organizations, Aboriginal
groups and Corporations wishing to enter the
eco tourism market. Michael is a current board
member of the Coeliac Society of WA”,
“Australia’s North West”,
“Backpack WA”, is a panel member
of (ATEC) Backpack National Advisory Panel
and an active member of WAITOC and FACET in
Western Australia.
Government
and Industry Working Together Karijini National Park is
a spectacular landscape with deep gorges offering
a great nature based tourism experience. There
is also a strong connection with three language
groups of Aboriginal people who through a
park council jointly manage one of Western
Australia’s tourism icons.
In
2006, after a competitive process, Gumala
Aboriginal Corporation, who represent three
of the local language groups, were granted
a lease to develop and operate the Savannah
Campground by establishing safari camp style
accommodation, camping areas and a restaurant.
Gumala appointed The Eco Group to manage what
has now become the award winning Karijini
Eco Retreat.
Michael
Collins, Director of the Eco Company Pty Ltd
and Rod Quartermain, Manager of the Tourism
Branch for the WA Department of Environment
and Conservation (DEC) will talk about the
challenges and successes to both the private
and government sector of developing and managing
a unique development in a unique area.
Mr.
Phil Coulthard Operations Manager
- Dolphin Discovery
10:00-10:20
The Dolphin
Discovery Centre Experience Tourists love to be entertained.
Tourists love to experience new things. But
how can operators successfully provide this
service in a satisfying and memorable way
without risking significant impact on the
environment? This has been the focus of the
Dolphin Discovery Centre (DDC) in Bunbury,
Western Australia for the past 10 years in
an attempt to create the perfect wildlife
experience that ticks all the boxes. But how
can this be achieved? The DDC would like to
tell everyone at the next Global Eco Conference
held in October 2010.
The key lies not only in the product, but
of course in the client preparation and interpretive
delivery. It also helps when dolphins are
the focus!
Understanding the product has been first and
foremost the priority of the Centre who as
a not-for-profit organisation continues to
dedicate all funds and services towards studying
the dolphins and their environment. Knowledge
from this research has been used to introduce
operational procedures that potentially decreased
the chances of tourists getting close to the
animals they paid so much money to see and
interact with and ultimately, create a sense
of disappointment. But to the Centre's surprise,
the opposite seems to have occurred. With
the clients knowledge that their actions have
reduced impacts, along with the fact that
the money they have spent directly contributes
to the research programs run by the DDC, satisfaction
levels are going through the roof! Combining
this awareness with the professional delivery
of information about the animals biology and
ecology by the Marine Biologists who collect
the research data in the first place all seems
to contribute towards a meaningful tourism
experience that goes well beyond any pre tour
expectations held by the tourists who participate.
The
proposed presentation will be delivered by
the DDC Operations Manager Phil Coulthard
who has spent the last 9 years developing
what is now considered Australia's most ecologically
sensitive wild dolphin experience. Phil is
a qualified Marine Biologist who has combined
his research background with his tourism product
development experience to create an unforgettable
program that can be enjoyed by anyone within
the community. He will also introduce the
evolution of the DDC tourism operations and
how the progression into ecologically sound
products has become a key sales pitch towards
future market growth.
