EcotourismNZ Conference 2007

EcotourismNZ has just held a conference on the West Coast, Shantytown to be exact and it was a great success.

We at EcotourismNZ would love to get some feedback and discussion following some of the workshops to continue dialogue on the many issues arising in this new and exciting industry.

There is not  a clear definition of Ecotourism throughout the industry but at Tai Poutini we have devised what we think is a good start, this has 5 points

1 - The activity has a light footprint on the environment

2 - The local community benefits from this tourism activity

3 - Has an educational dimension

4 - Activities Include considering the local culture

5 - Involves interaction with the natural and heritage environment

What do people think of these as a start, we are interested in any more suggestions and ideas.

Don't forget the Blog session we are running with Ron Mader and Planeta.com in September.

Comments

[Lucy Hodgson]

Awaroa Lodge in Abel Tasman National Park recently received a Wetland Care New Zealand Award for its wetlands restoration project. The Award is sponsored by Australian wine company Banrock Station who has pledged financial support to further enhance the wetlands over the next three years.

Awards of this type are a great way to show what can be done and encourage others to follow suit. However, there is a danger of 'greenwashing' these events.

The Lodge is doing some great things by re-instating the wetlands and operating organic gardens using recycled waste from the restaurant. However, there is irony in the fact that these projects are alleviating the effects of operating, within a National Park, a high-end accommodation complex with associated high energy and waste disposal demands.

Other operators in the Park, particularly Wilsons Abel Tasman’s two Beachfront Lodges, Torrent Bay Lodge and Meadowbank Homestead – Awaroa, with associtated visitor activities, are designed to pre-empt impact on the environment. This is done through constant research, monitoring of day-to-day operations and careful planning of each stage of development. Unfortunately, this approach is not news worthy.

The value of Awards and the necessity of defining the parameters and requirements for each Award were a hot topic at the EcotourismNZ Conference 2007. There are so many Awards these days, we run the risk of making them just another ho-hum marketing tool. Their real value should lie in improving Best Practise standards of our tourism businesses nation-wide.

Therein lies another problem: the need to educate visitors and NZ's as to what Awards/Accreditations/Standards are most likely to promote Best Practise and therefore provide the best experience of our 100% Pure products.

Qualmark are planning to include environmental responsibility in their assessments. I see this as a positive step in setting guidelines and standards for the industry. Perhaps Awards themselves should be given a Qualmark rating. However, Qualmark needs a boost in public awareness as informal polls amongst tourism operators indicate that not many people, whether local or visitors, understand what a Qualmark rating is.