KLM is upcycling its old uniforms instead of destroying them as many airlines do for security reasons. Professional industrial designers together with students have developed a number of product concepts related to travelling including KLM-blue suitcase belts, slippers, laptop bags and ladies bags. According to the airline the recycling of the 90,000 kilos of uniforms saves 500 million litres of water, 1 million cubic meter of natural gas, and 4,600 tons of CO2.

Further information: http://www.klm.com/travel/csr_en/mission/goedevoorbeelden.htm

ACCOMMODATION

Virgin Hotels

Sir Richard Branson is launching Virgin Hotels to redefine the customer journey from pre-arrival to checkout by targeting the high income, well-educated, metropolitan creative class.

The new global hotel chain is seeking 150 to 400 room 4-star hotels of interesting, authentic and high quality design in North America.

The venture aims to acquire up to $500 million in properties, as well integrate Virgin flyers and loyalty program members.

Further information: http://www.virginhotels.com/#/opportunity

Image: virginhotels.com/

Outrigger Little Hastings Street Resort & Spa Noosa has been formally awarded a 5-star rating by Australia and New Zealand’s official ratings assessment body - AAA Tourism - together with an eco-friendly Green Star.

The Green Star initiative was developed in a partnership between AAA Tourism and the worldwide GREEN GLOBE body, with Outrigger Little Hastings Street significantly surpassing the minimum points criteria to gain the additional rating.

Image: Concierge team, Peter Tromph (left) and Bryce Watts (right), road test the new scooters available to guests at Outrigger Little Hastings Street Resort & Spa

General manager, Alex Chapman said while the resort had exceeded the Green Star criteria, it was not unexpected given its groundbreaking eco-design, extensive use of renewable energy sources and state-of-the-art rainwater harvesting systems used for toilets and maintaining the 20 hectares of grounds.

Visit the Outrigger Little Hastings Street Resort & Spa: http://www.outrigger.com/hotels-resorts/
australia/queensland/ outrigger-little-hastings- street-resort-&-spa-noosa

According to the results of a new independent national study the popularity of guys-only travel is rising in Australia with a growing number of men getting in touch with their primal roots and bonding with their mates on 'man-cations'.

The study of 500 men revealed that 66% have taken a guys-only holiday with their friends in the last two years with another 56% saying a man-trip is on the cards in the next year.

To meet this trend the Lynx Lodge will launch later this year at Lake Macquarie, NSW with key activities to include drinking and partying, male bonding, watching sports, adrenaline activities, playing practical jokes and gambling.

Further information: http://www.lynxeffect.com.au/lodge/

Noosa’s award winning tour operator, The Discovery Group today announced further expansion of its 4WD fleet with the safe arrival of “Junior”, the companies third purpose built twenty seat 4WD vehicle, set to make tracks on the ‘beach highway’ in time to welcome September holiday makers to the Sunshine Coast.

“Junior” joins “the Warrior” and “Xena”, the groups’ affectionate names for its fleet of purpose built twenty seat 4WD vehicles offering daily discovery tours from the Sunshine Coast to World Heritage Listed Fraser Island.

The addition of “Junior” increases the group’s fleet to a substantial size of sixty-six seats, opening the market for medium size groups to share in this award winning advanced eco-touring experience of World Heritage Listed Fraser Island.

The Discovery Group continues to offer exclusive personal day tours as well as extended touring options to Fraser Island and beyond travelling in the privacy of a 4WD Toyota Land Cruiser for up to six Guests at any one time, as well as premium river cruise experiences into the Noosa Everglades for up to fifty-two Guests.

The Discovery Group is proud to support local industry working with Yandina based manufacturer “All Terrain Warriors” who have over 20 years experience in the manufacturing of premium custom built 4WD vehicles.

Read more about The Discovery Group: http://www.thediscoverygroup.com.au/

Travellers to the United States must now pay a $US14 operational and travel promotion fee. The new tax allows travellers for business or tourism to stay 90 days or less and will be used for future advertising, tradeshow participation and journalist visits from around the world. The legislation was signed earlier this year by President Barack Obama and will affect visitors from 36 countries including UK, Japan, Germany, South Korea and Australia. Further information: http://www.cbp.gov/

Tourism Queensland has launched their first truly global tourism brand – Queensland, Where Australia Shines.

The brand strategy is backed by a two-year $4.16 million investment including a global social media campaign, website and marketing activity in key international markets.

New marketing brands for Brisbane, Gold Coast, Tropical North Queensland, Sunshine Coast and The Whitsundays will also be rolled out in the coming months.

The team behind the Food Wine Sleep Guide have now developed the first Australian iPhone app that allows users to search for hotels, bars and restaurants. It features more than 4000 establishments nationwide with contact details, descriptions, photos, reviews, offers and GPS integration. There are search options with filters and the ability to make reservations.

Further information: http://foodwinesleep.com.au/

Phillip Island Nature Park and Peregrine Adventures, Australia’s leading small group travel company have announced a new partnership to protect the smallest penguins in the world. One of the main initiatives Peregrine will undertake is to raise funds for a new wildlife hospital to treat the increasing numbers of wildlife admitted and released back into the wild.

The hospital is a key part of the Nature Park’s environment program, which strives to protect Phillip Island’s wildlife and habitat for future generations.

Further information: http://www.peregrineadventures.com/australasia/australia/responsible-travel

Hilton Hotels in Australasia has begun offsetting the carbon emissions generated from meetings and events held in every hotel in the region. The hotel group has implemented this program across all its properties without any additional cost to its customers.

The program offsets carbon emissions generated from the meeting rooms, as well as all the food that delegates consume during their event.

Further information: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/promotions/hi_carbon offset/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=
1HI2RE3carbonoffset5PromoPage

Agritourism Australia provides a national directory of farm experiences including listings for farm stays, wineries and organic produce in Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland.

Further information: http://agritourismaustralia.com.au/

Ecotourism Australia has joined The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), an international partnership dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism practices around the world.

The council is made up of members of the tourism and travel industry including UN agencies, tour operators, travel companies, individual hotels and government tourism councils.

Image: gstcouncil.org/

Over the next three years the GSTC will work with members in each region to promote sustainable tourism principles, as well as encourage the adoption of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria.

Further information: http://www.gstcouncil.org/

Last year tourists spent $89 billion on adventure holidays according to a recent study conducted by the Business School at George Washington University in partnership with the Adventure Travel Trade Association and Xola Consulting.

Researchers interviewed 850 tourists and discovered that countries with the highest numbers of adrenalin-seekers included the US, Argentina, Brazil, the UK, Germany and Spain.

Image: adventuretravel.biz/wp-content/uploads/background.jpg

The average age of an adventurous traveller is 36 years and the cost of their holiday ranges from US$450 to US$800 excluding flights and gear.

Further information: http://www.adventuretravelnews.com/values-adventure-tourism-market-89-billion

According to a survey by price-comparison site Skyscanner nearly 60 per cent of travellers would like children to be contained to a "families only" section on flights.

Over 2,000 people voted in the Skyscanner poll with just 8 per cent arguing that families should be able to sit wherever they like and the majority saying they wanted to sit as far away as possible from children.

Suggestions from the survey included charging a premium for an adults-only area, providing a baby nursery or only allowing well-behaved children to fly.

Image: skyscanner.net/news/articles/2010/08/007776-59-of-travellers-want-family-only-section-on-flights.html

Further information: http://www.skyscanner.net/news/articles/2010/08/007776-59-of-travellers-want-family-
only-section-on-flights.html

Environmental Adaption Initiatives

A survey of almost 1000 Queensland tourism businesses has revealed a need for Queensland tourism operators to learn more about the benefits of becoming more environmentally sustainable.

Commissioned by Tourism Queensland the survey engaged a range of tourism operators from across the state to gauge attitudes, commitment and implementation of environmental practices.

Image: tq.com.au/fms/tq_corporate/research/destinations research/queensland/FINAL%20REPORT%
20Queensland%20Tourism%20Operator%20 Environment%20Indicators%20Study%202010.PDF

Further information: http://www.tq.com.au/fms/tq_corporate/research/destinationsresearch/queensland
/FINAL%20REPORT%20Queensland%20Tourism%20Operator %20Environment%20Indicators%20Study
%202010.PDF

Tourism in protected areas will be on the agenda at Ecotourism Australia's Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference in Noosa from 25-28 October.

As Executive Director of the Tourism Sustainability Council, Erika Harms oversees the implementation of standards, protocols and processes which encourage businesses to better the planet and practice sustainable tourism. At the Global Eco Conference, Ericka will share her experiences in promoting sustainable tourism around the world and discuss how the tourism industry can adopt a set of Universal Sustainable Tourism Principles.

The 3rd annual Australia’s National Landscapes Forum was held on Kangaroo Island recently to review and plan new approaches to communications and product development.

Australia’s National Landscapes program is an initiative of Tourism Australia and Parks Australia that identifies and promotes 15 of Australia’s exceptional natural and cultural experiences to international markets.

Further information: http://www.tourism.australia.com/nl

Walking Campaign

The new Inspiring Gippsland Walks campaign will encourage tourists to visit and explore the region’s beautiful natural attractions.

The campaign’s bushwalking and hiking focus will tap into the rising popularity of nature-based tourism activities among interstate and overseas visitors.

The campaign includes media familiarisations, advertisements and social media activities, as well as a brochure that highlights 40 of the region’s iconic and varied walks for hikers of different experience and fitness levels.

Further information: http://www.inspiringgippslandwalks.com.au/

Image: inspiringgippslandwalks.com.au/

As part of celebrating the International Year of Biodiversity, the UNWTO has produced a guide on how to develop sustainable biodiversity-based tourism products.

The publication incorporates practical guidelines for local tour operators and product developers including attending training programmes and monitoring the capacity of natural areas in order not to damage habitats and species.

Further information: http://pub.world-tourism.org:81/epages/Store.sf?
ViewObjectID=1977694&Currency=EUR

Image: pub.world-tourism.org:81/epages/Store.sf?ViewObjectID=1977694&Currency=EUR

The STCRC fulfilled the role of strategic and scientific research provider for Australian tourism for 13 years from 1997 to 2010.  Following the wind-up of the STCRC, the need for a new national tourism body was re-examined and lessons learnt from the STCRC experience were reviewed.

Conclusions of the review included:

• Funding for tourism research and development in Australia is woefully inadequate,
• With an inability to levy producers, there is significant market failure in this area if government does not step in to provide a funding platform.
• Tourism enterprises innovate and develop differently from other traditional industries such as manufacturing, agriculture and health.
• A national tourism research organisation needs to be specific to the needs of tourism, to be structured accordingly, and to contribute directly to the drivers that will increase productivity and competitiveness in tourism enterprises and destinations.

This paper analyses the generic CRC model and the STCRC operational experience and proposes a model and structure for a new national tourism research centre.

View the paper: The Future of Tourism Research in Australia: An Ideal Model for an Australian Tourism Research Centre.

The location of this year’s Global Eco Conference, Noosa is a holiday destination known for its sophisticated beach culture and accessible natural beauty. This combination, of an idyllic lifestyle and a controlled built environment developed with respect for the environment and rich biodiversity of the area, led to UNESCO awarding Noosa as Queensland’s first Biosphere Reserve in 2007.

With the recent naming of Queensland’s second Biosphere Reserve, the Great Sandy Biosphere, a natural corridor now extends north from Noosa into the Gympie Cooloola region, incorporating the laidback beauty of Rainbow Beach, wild dolphins at Tin Can Bay and natural features such as the Carlo Sandblow and the multi-day walking trails through pristine rainforest in the Great Sandy National Park (Cooloola section). 

Tourism Noosa and Gympie Cooloola Tourism are proud sponsors of the 2010 Global Eco Conference.

The Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award ceremony recently took place in Portland, Oregon. The award is a collaborative effort between Planeta.com, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Heidehof Foundation.

The award is aimed at tourism services owned and operated by indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles.

It aims to improve online communication by highlighting best practices in managing tourism as well as raising awareness of biodiversity and cultural diversity.

Ecotourism Australia's Global Eco Conference is being staged from 25-28 October 2010 in Noosa, Queensland. National and international keynote speakers will provide the latest insight in challenges and opportunities facing the industry with plenty of opportunities for delegates to participate in discussions.

As part of Ecotourism Australia's Global Eco Asia Pacific Tourism conference, a busy schedule of events will see the launch of the Indigenous Tourism Forum on Day 4 (28th October).

This forum will feature truly unique case studies presented by inspiring personalities from around the globe. Keys to success and practical international examples presented by operators as well as government programs and new technology tools will be the highlights of this session.

Bruce Poon Tip, Founder of Gap Adventures will share how his company looks to change the lives of the local communities they visit through meaningful projects. Bruce has been fortunate enough to return to visit many of these communities in recent years and see the incredibly positive impact that passengers and staff have made to the lives of people within these communities. Bruce will discuss the importance of engagement with the local community to ensure the long-term survival of projects, and empowering local people to help themselves.

John Collyer, founded Worn Gundidj Aboriginal Corporative in 1994 to generate business and employment opportunities for Aboriginal people. Worn Gundidj operates a wholesale nursery and tourism venture, both of which function without funding. In 2002 Worn Gundidj entered into a partnership with Parks Victoria to provide guided tours and visitor information to some 200,00 visitors annually. Worn Gundidj credits its success to linking established partners and strategies that share the same regional goals.

Find out more at http://www.globaleco.com.au/2010/publications/Indigenous%20Flyer.pdf or register now to hear these and more inspiring stories at http://www.globaleco.com.au/conferenceregistration.php

Townsville is hosting the prestigious Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia (SEGRA) national conference next week, 19 – 21 October, bringing together some of Australia’s most prodigious thinkers on the future of regional Australia.

Under the banner of Delivering A Big Australia, the conference has attracted keynote speakers from Australia’s academic elite and regional development professionals. Critical issues for discussion include population and sustainability, agricultural capacity, regional economies in transition, infrastructure planning and land use, as well as the emerging issues of ocean governance, climate change impact, and food and water security.

SEGRA was established in 1997 as a national think-tank dedicated to speaking up for regional Australia.  It continues to be the only, single national forum giving regional issues a political voice.

Further information: http://www.segra.com.au/

The Australian Tourism Export Council in partnership with Qantas and Tourism Australia is hosting the inaugural Australian Youth Tourism Exchange in Sydney from 29 to 30 November 2010. The event will incorporate two one-day business-to-business workshop appointments, a social networking event and post familiarisations.

This unique opportunity is for operators within the inbound youth, backpacker and adventure industry sectors.

Further information: http://www.atec.net.au/187657.html

WAITOC has recently announced the next Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference will be held in Perth from 29 March to 1 April 2011.  The objective of the conference is to assist and promote the Indigenous tourism business and industry sector as well as provide a comprehensive overview of the tourism industry.

Further information: http://www.aitc2011.com