Edition 114 · July 2017

Ecotourism Australia’s Global Eco Asia Pacific Conference is headed to Adelaide, South Australia 27­29 November, 2017.

Global Eco Asia-Pacific will focus on the evolving role of ecotourism in both urban and regional settings. No longer a small niche within the tourism industry, ecotourism is being embraced by the mainstream. Ecotourism is the natural home for high value experienced travellers.

Global Eco brings together the key players that can evolve this critical sector of the tourism industry – the operators, protected area managers, destination developers, applied researchers and destination marketers.

Global Eco will be staged at the state of the art Sanctuary Adelaide Zoo conference centre located in the city centre. Sanctuary, Adelaide Zoo is right in the city, just a 15 minute drive to CBD hotels and restaurants, festival and events.

The conference Call for Papers closes 30 July 2017.

Register now to attend the world’s leading ecotourism conference:
Global Eco 2017 – Registration

To offer a paper, visit:
Global Eco 2017 – Call for Papers

The Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council has produced a touring map in partnership with the Caravan Industry Association Western Australia and the Road Safety Commission. The new map features a range of Aboriginal cultural tours and activities including coastal trails, traditional fishing, spear making, bush food foraging, cooking and Dreamtime legends. It will be distributed through visitor centres and tourism information stands in Perth and Broome.

Further information:
WA Aboriginal Tourism Operators Council

A new ‘Null Stern’ (the only star is you) room has been developed on the Göbsi summit 1200 metres above sea level at Gonten in Switzerland. The double suite room was created by conceptual artists Frank and Patrik Riklin, but is operated by the local residents who apply their own unique hosting culture. The zero-star hotel concept was started when the brothers converted a former nuclear fallout shelter in the small town of Teufen near the Austrian border.

Further information:
http://nullsternhotel.ch/?lang=en

The Mantra Group is partnering with Surf Life Saving Queensland to help spread the surf safety message and save lives along the Queensland coastline. The alliance focuses on educating guests about water and surf safety, especially encouraging international guests to swim between the flags. Surf Life Saving Queensland is one of the largest volunteer-based community service organisations in Australia with more than 30,000 Queensland members.

Further information:
http://www.mantragroup.com.au/News-Media/News/postid/659/mantra-group-helps-guests-keep-their-heads-above-water.aspx

AccorHotels has committed to developing urban farming and planting 1,000 vegetable gardens by 2020. To date, over 500 vegetable gardens have been planted and 38 hotels in 13 countries are using connected solutions to fight food waste in their kitchens and restaurants. This initiative has the potential to change the practices of up to 170 food outlets that serve seven million meals each year.

Further information:
http://www.accorhotels.group/en/commitment

Lindblad Expeditions has announced the launch of National Geographic Global Explorers, a program that is designed for families which provides unique experiences to inspire the next generation of explorers. The program will operate under the National Geographic Educational Learning Framework that is staffed by specially trained and certified Lindblad naturalists.

Further information:
https://www.expeditions.com/destinations/south-america/galapagos/the-experience/families/

The Great Barrier Island, located 100 kilometres north-east of Auckland in New Zealand, has become the first island in the world to be designated an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in a bid to protect its night skies for present and future generations. The International Dark-Sky Association established the International Dark-Sky Places conservation program in 2001 with designations based on scientifically measured darkness of sky as well as stringent outdoor lighting standards and innovative community outreach.

Further information:
http://www.darksky.org/idsp/sanctuaries/aotea-great-barrier-island/

Walk into Luxury has launched a new tour on the Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia’s Great Southern region. The four day walk covers 43 kilometres of cliff-top coast-line and native bushland between Albany and Denmark with guests retiring each night to the Beach House at Bayside or Cape Howe Cottages.

Further information:
http://www.walkintoluxury.com.au/bibbulmun-track-walks/

British Airways is the first U.K. airline to introduce a new passport-free process at several boarding gates in Heathrow Airport using biometric facial recognition technology. The new service is currently available on domestic flights at three gates in Terminal Five and the company plans to expand the technology to an additional 33 gates and international flights

Further information:
http://mediacentre.britishairways.com/pressrelease/details/86/2017-228/8422

Sunlover Reef Cruises has launched a new two-storey pontoon at Moore Reef on the outer Great Barrier Reef, 40 kilometres east of Cairns. The 50 metre long structure has one of the region’s largest reef sundecks and first floating theme-park style water-slide. The floating facility features a lengthy slide into Reef waters, large seating and shade areas, a bar area and sunbaking recliners.

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

The Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania (RACT) will construct a new vessel to replace Lady Jane Franklin II, which for the past 14 years has delivered quality tourism experiences on the Gordon River in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The state-of-the-art designed vessel will be locally built and offer the most environmentally sensitive river-cruising experience for a vessel of its size in Australia.

Further information:
http://www.gordonrivercruises.com.au/2018

The University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre is working with Qantas to reshape the long haul travel experience ahead of their first Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights. Research projects include strategies to counteract jetlag, on-board exercise and movement, menu design and service timing, pre and post-flight preparation, transit lounge wellness concepts and cabin environment including lighting and temperature. The findings will allow Qantas to design and develop a range of new innovations to complement the Dreamliner experience.

Further information:
Reshaping the Travel Experience (Video)

Lonely Planet, in partnership with GoPro, has launched a new video platform on its website which offers unique, engaging travel content created by Lonely Planet’s global editorial and production teams. The collaboration is part of the company’s vision to evolve the iconic travel guide business into an innovative multimedia hub with channels for Adventure, Arts and Culture, Explore Every Day, Beaches, Food and Drink, and Journeys.

Further information:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/video

A Hong Kong operation, Tink Labs, has launched a new smart phone service for hotels so guests get unlimited calls, texts and web access. The T1 handset is powered by a user interface specifically designed and engineered for the hospitality industry that can be used to access room services, laundry facilities, in-room entertainment, city guides and promotions. Handy devices are already in 20 cities across Asia and Europe in hotels including The Hilton and The Ritz-Carlton.

Further information:
https://www.handy.travel/

Over 16,000 photos and 630 videos were posted on social media over an eight-week period showcasing unique regions as part of the ‘What I Love About Holidays in NSW’ campaign. Holidaymakers and locals were invited to upload videos and photos of their most memorable Regional NSW experiences to #ILoveNSW. The top four videos and photos will be developed into a series of short films providing travellers with ‘holiday-spiration’ to start planning their next getaway or short break in NSW.

Further information:
http://www.visitnsw.com/ilovensw

The Western Australian Strategic Trails Blueprint 2017-2021 highlights opportunities to create trail towns and networks that could generate new tourism opportunities for regional economies and metropolitan areas. The blueprint provides a roadmap for the creation of cycling, mountain biking, horse riding, snorkelling and canoeing experiences throughout the State for domestic and international tourists.

Further information:
https://www.dsr.wa.gov.au/docs/default-source/file-about-us/file-plan-for-the-future/wa-trails-blueprint.pdf

The Taste 2020 is a strategy that was developed by Tourism Western Australia in conjunction with the Department of Regional Development, Department of Agriculture and Food and Department of Fisheries. Its purpose is to strengthen WA’s position as an internationally recognised destination where you can savour gourmet produce, fresh seafood, premium wines and boutique beverages.

Further information:
http://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/Publications%20Library/About%20Us/Taste_%202020_A_Strategy_for_food_and_wine_tourism.pdf

Sustainable Travel International has launched the Foundation for a Sustainable Samoa, a travel philanthropy fund. The Foundation will bring together travellers, businesses and residents to invest in Samoa’s long-term socio-cultural, economic and environmental wellbeing. As the first fund in the region, it aims to benefit local communities and stakeholders, as well as provide an innovative stewardship model for other Pacific Island destinations to follow.

Further information:
https://oursustainablesamoa.org/

The New Zealand Tourism Guide which began operation in 1997 is the first tourism website of its type in the country to undergo an accessibility assessment. It actively works with thousands of tourism operators throughout the country to provide comprehensive information including accommodation, attractions, tours, transport, maps and bookings. Be Accessible is a social change organisation that offers a framework for accessibility and aims to create a more accessible country for everyone.

Further information:
http://www.beaccessible.org.nz/

National Geographic has released the first ever Sustainable Tourism Impact Report highlighting social and environmental impact of the Unique Lodges of the World collection. Launched in 2015, the collection of 55 world-class hotels spans 30 countries and six continents. They have also invested over $3 million in community initiatives including education, health, and small business development, as well as reducing waste, recycling materials and cutting carbon emissions.

Further information:
http://natgeolodgesimpact.com/

A new study detailing the economic impact of the cruise industry in Canada has highlighted the increase in spending in major coastal regions. The report shows significant growth in the last four years and predicts stronger growth in passenger numbers. The average age of respondents was 64 years with surveys conducted at Canada ports in British Columbia, Quebec and Atlantic.

Further information:
http://www.clia-nwc.com/news/cruise-ship-industry-contributes-32-billion-to-the-canadian-economy-in-2016/

A new report by the World Travel & Tourism Council shows the global travel and tourism sector employs more people than the automotive, banking, mining, chemical and financial services sectors. The 2017 Benchmarking Report compares travel and tourism to eight other global sectors across 27 countries and six regions. It also highlights how business and leisure travel creates opportunities, empowers communities and enhances local livelihoods.

Further information:
https://www.wttc.org/research/economic-research/benchmark-reports/

A new Deloitte Access Economics report has calculated the total asset value of the Great Barrier Reef to be $56 billion by assessing the World Heritage site’s economic, social and iconic brand value for the first time. The report commissioned by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, with support from the National Australia Bank and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, included a survey of 1500 Australian and international respondents from 10 countries.

Further information:
https://www.barrierreef.org/the-reef/the-value

The Australian Cruise Association annual conference will be held in Mooloolaba, Queensland from 6-8 September 2017. The event brings together international cruise lines, service providers and tourism operators.

Further information:
http://www.australiancruiseassociation.com/conferences

The Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Development in Arab Countries Conference will be held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt from 9-12 September 2017. It will explore ways in which heritage can be used as a tool for achieving sustainable development within the Arabian region.

Further information:
http://heritagestudies.eu/en/ankundigungthe-1st-conference-arab-regioncultural-heritage-sustainable-tourism-development/

The PATA Global Insights Conference will be held in Auckland, New Zealand from 27-29 September 2017. The conference theme ‘R U Future Ready’ will see high profile speakers and panel members attending from Europe, Asia Pacific and North America.

Further information:
http://www.pata.org/event/pgic-2017/

Ecotourism Australia’s Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference will be held in Adelaide, South Australia from 27-29 November 2017. The annual conference will be staged at the state of the art Sanctuary Adelaide Zoo conference centre located in the city centre for its 25th anniversary.

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