Conference Proceedings 2016

Important: Please note that no part of any presentation is to be reproduced or copied without prior permission of the author. For any enquiries please contact the Conference Secretariat at info@globaleco.com.au

2016 Delegate List

2016 Program Changes

Day 1: Monday 21 November

Time Details
Plenary Sessions
Eros and Thanatos, MONA
7:30am Registration Desk Opens
Chair Tony Charters AM, Convenor, Global Eco Conference
8:30am Welcome to Country
Alison Overeem, Palawa Community Member
8:40am - 8:50am Convenor Overview of Conference
Tony Charters AM, Convenor, Global Eco Conference
8:50am - 9:00am Ecotourism Australia Welcome
Rick Murray, Chairman, Ecotourism Australia
9:00am - 9:15am Official Welcome
The Hon. Will Hodgman MP, Premier of Tasmania
9:15am - 9:25am Daniel Leesong, Chair, Tourism Industry Council Tasmania
The Business of Best Practice Ecotourism
Chair Tony Charters AM, Convenor, Global Eco Conference
9:25am - 9:50am Keynote Speaker
Robert Pennicott, Founder & Managing Director, Pennicott Wilderness Journeys
9:50am - 10:15am Keynote Speaker
Brett Godfrey, Tasmanian Walking Company
10:15am - 10:30am Q & A
10:30am - 11:00am Morning Tea
Community & Social Licence
Chair Dr. Claire Ellis, Consultant, Claire Ellis Consulting and Director, Ecotourism Australia
11:00am - 11:25am Keynote Speaker
Katherine Teh-White, Managing Director, Futureye
11:25am - 11:50am
Keynote Speakers
Ceillhe and Neill Sperath, Founders & Directors, TIME Unlimited Tours
11:50pm - 12:15pm Keynote Speaker
What is the Relationship between Peace and Tourism?
Steve Killelea AM, Founder & Executive Chairman of the Institute for Economics and Peace
12:15pm - 12:35pm Q & A
12:35pm - 1:30pm Lunch
Aust/NZ CEO Ecotourism Panel
Chair Peter Cochrane, Director, Ecotourism Australia
1:30pm - 3:00pm Keynote Panelists
Dr. Kay Booth, Deputy Director-General, Department of Conservation, New Zealand
John Fitzgerald, CEO, Tourism Tasmania
Wendy Hills, Acting Director Customer Experience Division, NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
Daniel Leesong, Chairman, Tourism Industry Council Tasmania
David Major, Executive Director, Visitor Engagement and Conservation, Parks Victoria
Tamara O'Shea, Director-General, Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing
John Schutz, Director of National Parks, Department of Environment, Water & Natural Resources
Jim Sharp, Director General, Department of Parks & Wildlife Western Australia (DPaW)
Steve Wroe, Director of Customer Experience and Destination Planning, Parks Australia
General Manager, Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service

3:00pm - 3:30pm Afternoon Tea
Tourism in Protected Areas
Chair Andrew Fairley AM, Deputy Chair, Tourism Australia and Chair, Parks Victoria
3:30pm - 3:50pm Keynote Speaker
Managing Parks in a Connected and Competitive World: marketing, engagement, digital transformation & digital service delivery
Steve Wroe, Director of Customer Experience and Destination Planning, Parks Australia
3:50pm - 4:10pm Tourism and Conservation: a natural marriage
Peter Mooney, Retired General Manager, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service


4:10pm - 4:30pm Keynote Speaker
Dr. Kay Booth, Deputy Director-General, Department of Conservation, New Zealand
6:00pm - 7:00pm Welcome Cocktails
Government House Tasmania
7:00pm Coach departs Government House, returning to CBD Hotels

Top ↑

Day 2: Tuesday 22 November

Time Details
Plenary Sessions
Eros and Thanatos, MONA
7:30am Registration Desk Opens
Community-Based Ecotourism
Chair Dr. Claire Ellis, Consultant, Claire Ellis Consulting and Director, Ecotourism Australia
8:30am - 8:55am Keynote Speakers
Melina Chan, Co-Founder, Kinyei
Katie Hallaran, Co-Founder, Kinyei
8:55am - 9:20am Keynote Speaker
Bridging the Gap-Indigenous Eco-Tourism in the NT
Helen Martin, Owner Operator, Banubanu Wilderness Retreat, Bremer Island, North East Arnhem Land, Chair, NT Indigenous Tourism Advisory Council (ITAC) and Board Member, Centre for Appropriate Technology, Alice Springs
9:20am - 9:45am Keynote Speaker
Robert Taylor, CEO, WAITOC
9:45am - 10:10am Q & A
10:10am - 10:30am EA 25th Anniversary Reflections and Outlooks
Rod Hillman, Chief Executive Officer, Ecotourism Australia



10:30am - 11:00am Morning Tea
ASEAN Ecotourism
Chair Rod Hillman, Chief Executive Officer, Ecotourism Australia
11:00am - 11:25am Keynote Speaker
Dr. Kaewta Muangasame, Assistant Dean and Lecturer Mahidol University, Thailand
11:25am - 11:50am Keynote Speaker
Inthy Deuansavan, CEO, Green Discovery Adventure and Ecotourism
11:50am - 12:15pm Keynote Speaker
Dr. Walailak Noypayak, Executive Director, ASEAN South Asia and South Pacific Region Department, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)
12:15pm - 12:30pm Q & A
12:30pm - 1:30pm Lunch
Ecotourism Contributing to Private Conservation

Chair Tony Charters AM, Convenor, Global Eco Conference

1:30pm - 1:55pm Keynote Speaker
Ecotourism Needs Nature, but Does Nature Need Ecotourism?
Jane Hutchinson, CEO, Tasmanian Land Conservancy (TLC)
1:55pm - 2:20pm Keynote Speaker
Vince Coulthard, CEO, Adnyamathanha Traditional Land Association
2:20pm - 2:50pm Keynote Speaker
Conservation, Wildlife Management and Ecotourism - the Turner Family Approach

Ben O'Hara, General Manager Land and Environment, The Gainsdale Group
2:45pm - 3:20pm Afternoon Tea
Innovation & Ecotourism Futures
Chair Tony Charters AM, Convenor, Global Eco Conference
3:20pm - 3:45pm Green Growth, Travelism and the 2015 SDG /
Climate Targets

Prof. Geoffrey Lipman, Founder, Green Growth & Travelism Institute
3:45pm - 4:10pm Keynote Speaker
Craig Wickham, Owner, Exceptional Kangaroo Island

4:10pm - 4:35pm Keynote Speaker
Hitesh Mehta, President, HM Design
4:35pm - 4:45pm Official Closing & Announcement of 2017 Host
Rick Murray, Chairman, Ecotourism Australia and
Rod Hillman, Chief Executive Officer, Ecotourism Australia
7:00pm Conference Dinner
Frogmore Creek Winery

Top ↑

Day 3: Wednesday 23 November

Morning Streams (8:30am - 12:20pm)

Ecotourism Planning and Development
Venue: Royal Society Room, TMAG.
Chair: Rick Murray, Chairman, Ecotourism Australia
Time Details
8:30am Introduction to Workshop
8:40am - 9:00am Help for Ecotourism Investors: finding the right path
Neal Muller, General Manager, Industry Development, Tourism Division, Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games
9:00am - 9:20am Jaliwang - the Diamond Dreaming Story (of the Argyle Diamond Mine)
Ted Hall, Proprietor Luridgii Tours, East Kimberley WA
9:20am - 9:40am Moving Mountains - Aligning Everything Against the Odds for Eco-Tourism
Adrian Bold, CEO, Mount Wellington Cableway Company
9:40am - 10:00am Interactive Panel Discussion
10:00am - 10:30am Morning Tea
10:30am - 10:50am Indigenous Tourism Development
John Huggins, Director of Brand and Communications, IBA Tourism Asset Management
10:50am - 11:10am Maximising the Potential of a Site with
Sustainable Initiatives

Justine Thompson, Project Manager, Ecoline / TreeTops
11:10am - 11:30pm Sink or Swim: developing and promoting sustainable tourism in the coral triangle
Carl Solomon, Partner, Destination Marketing Store
11:30am - 11:50am Developing a Great Walk in Queensland
Ben O'Hara, General Manager Land and Environment, The Gainsdale Group
11:50am - 12:20pm Interactive Panel Discussion
12:20pm - 12:30pm Walk to lunch venue
12:30pm - 1:20pm Lunch
Sovereign Room, HFCC
1:20pm - 1:30pm Walk to next workshop venue

Top ↑

Ecotourism Quality and Standards
Venue: Gretel Room, HFCC.
Chair: Michael Collins, Deputy Chairman, Ecotourism Australia
and Principal, CF Global
Time Details
8:30am Introduction to Workshop
8:40am - 9:00am Securing The Excellent? The Case of Whale Watching Ecolabel Scheme in Taiwan
Li-Yi Huang, Member, Taiwan Ecotourism Association
9:00am - 9:40am Building Quality Tourism in Vanuatu
Rod Hillman, Chief Executive Officer, Ecotourism Australia

Jerry Spooner, Principle Accreditation Officer, Vanuatu Department of Tourism
9:40am - 10:00am Interactive Panel Discussion
10:00am - 10:30am Morning Tea
10:30am - 10:50am Australia's First Ecotourism Destination Certification
Leonie Bowles, Program Manager, Ecotourism Australia
10:50am - 11:10am A New Era for EcoGuides
Russell Boswell, Manager,Savannah Guides
11:10am - 11:30pm Implications of More Developed Offshore Islands in Taiwan for Developing Marine Ecotourism on Remote Orchid Island, Taitung
Dr. Yung-Song Chen, Assistant Professor, Department of Biotechnology and Animal Science, National I-Lan University and Supervisor of Taiwan Ecotourism Association (TEA)
11:30am - 11:50am Engaging the Tourism Industry in Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) in the South Pacific
Cherise Addinsall, PhD Candidate, Business and Tourism Southern Cross University, Lismore
11:50am - 12:20pm Interactive Panel Discussion
12:20pm - 12:30pm Walk to lunch venue
12:30pm - 1:20pm Lunch
Sovereign Room, HFCC
1:20pm - 1:30pm Walk to next workshop venue

Top ↑

Supporting Sustainable Tourism in Marine Reserves

Venue: The Jones & Co. Room, Henry Jones Art Hotel.

Download the Supporting Sustainable Tourism in Marine Reserves Flyer

Chair: Hilary Schofield, Director, MPA Management South, MPA Branch, Parks Australia
Time Details
8:45am Introduction to Workshop
8:55am - 9:15am Maximising the Tourism Benefit of Commonwealth Marine Reserves
Jason Mundy, Assistant Secretary, MPA Branch, Parks Australia
9:15am - 9:35am The Spectrum of Opportunities
Hilary Schofield, Director, MPA Management South, MPA Branch, Parks Australia
9:35am - 10:00am Facilitated group discussion
Marine Tourism in Australia: International and Domestic Trends
10:00am - 10:30am Morning Tea
10:30am - 11:00am TBC
11:00am - 12:20pm Interactive Forum
Co-designing a New Work Program with Parks Australia to Support the Commonwealth Marine Reserves Visitor Economy

What can Parks Australia do to facilitate growth in marine reserve experiences and create greater visitor engagement and awareness of our marine reserves? What barriers exist? How could we remove/ modify any of these? How could Parks Australia partner to create needed change?

Where should the focus be? Whale watching? Virtual reality?  Remote viewing? Coral reefs? Expedition cruising? Charter fishing? Aquariums? Shark diving? Or is there a different way of connecting visitors to Commonwealth Marine Reserves?

Next steps after this forum? What is the best way for Parks Australia to continue to engage with you?
12:20pm - 12:30pm Walk to lunch venue
12:30pm - 1:20pm Lunch
Sovereign Room, HFCC
1:20pm - 1:30pm Walk to next workshop venue

Top ↑

Ecotourism Futures: a national nature-based tourism strategy
Venue: Marina Room, HFCC.
Chairs: Peter Cochrane, Director, Ecotourism Australia and Dr. Claire Ellis, Consultant, Claire Ellis Consulting and Director, Ecotourism Australia
Time Details
8:30am Introduction to Workshop
8:40am - 9:00am Outline of Current Draft Strategy
Peter Cochrane, Director, Ecotourism Australia  
Dr. Claire Ellis, Consultant, Claire Ellis Consulting and Director, Ecotourism Australia
9:15am - 12:20pm Workshop - Review of content, next steps – communication, partners and building support
Participatory approach with attendees working in groups through each section of the draft strategy and adding comment / identifying issues and potential additions. In addition, ideas around communication, partners and building support through the next steps will be workshopped.
10:00am - 10:30am Morning Tea
10:30am - 12:20pm Workshop continued.
12:20pm - 12:30pm Walk to lunch venue
12:30pm - 1:20pm Lunch
Sovereign Room, HFCC
1:20pm - 1:30pm Walk to next workshop venue

Top ↑

Afternoon Streams (1:30pm - 5:00pm)

Innovative Approaches to Ecotourism Workshop
Venue: Royal Society Room, TMAG.
Chair: Lizzie Corke, CEO, Conservation Ecology Centre, Cape Otway
Time Details
1:30pm Introduction to Workshop
1:40pm - 2:00pm Near Zero Energy Passive House Provides Optimum Comfort
Fiona McKenzie, Superpod Pty Ltd
2:00pm - 2:20pm An Innovative Approach to Ecotourism Marketing
Melanie Grevis-James, Director, Our Planet Travel
2:20pm - 2:40pm Shift happens! Changing the Way Tasmania is Experienced by Visitors
Penny Spoelder, Senior Consultant, TRC Tourism
2:40pm - 3:00pm The Unique Malik ManagementSystems® and their Range of Powerful Instruments for Fostering Innovation and Sustaining Excellence in Ecotourism
Dr. Nam Nguyen, Director, Malik Institute
3:00pm - 3:30pm Afternoon Tea
3:30pm - 3:50pm Let's do an Unzoo
John Hamilton, The Tasmanian Nature Company
3:50pm - 4:10pm Tourism in a Low-Carbon Economy - Adjusting to a Carbon-Constrained Future
Alex Stathakis, Director, Conversio Pty Ltd

4:10pm - 4:30pm The Blue Mountains Low Carbon Tourism Project
Peter Cochrane, Director, Ecotourism Australia
4:30pm - 5:00pm Interactive Panel Discussion

Top ↑

Geotourism Forum
Venue: Marina Room, HFCC.
Chair: Angus M. Robinson, Managing Partner, Leisure Solutions® and Chairman, Geotourism Standing Committee, Geological Society of Australia
Time Details
1:30pm Introduction to Workshop
1:40pm - 2:00pm Role of Geotourism in Australia’s Nature Based Tourism Strategy 2025
Angus M. Robinson, Managing Partner, Leisure Solutions® and Chairman, Geotourism Standing Committee, Geological Society of Australia
2:00pm - 2:20pm Gunduwa - A Case Study for Geotrails
Alan Briggs, PhD Candidate, Murdoch University
2:20pm - 2:40pm A New Form of Geotourism with Great Marketing Value: mass geotours in Hungary
Nikolett Csorvasi, Geotourism Researcher, Eötvös Loránd University
2:40pm - 3:00pm Interactive Panel Discussion
3:00am - 3:30pm Afternoon Tea
3:30pm - 3:50pm UNESCO Global Geoparks - Pointers for Australia
Angus M. Robinson, Managing Partner, Leisure Solutions® and Chairman, Geotourism Standing Committee, Geological Society of Australia
3:50pm - 4:10pm Tasmanian Geotrails
Ralph Bottrill, Mineralogist, Mineral Resources Tasmania

4:10pm - 4:30pm Interactive Panel Discussion
4:30pm - 5:00pm Geotourism Futures for the Asia-Pacific Region
Discussion

Top ↑

Ecotourism in Protected Areas Forum
Venue: The Jones & Co. Room, Henry Jones Art Hotel.
Chair: Wendy Hills, Acting Director Customer Experience Division, NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
Time Details
1:30pm Introduction to Workshop
1:40pm - 2:00pm Sustaining Marine Tourism through a Major Environmental Incident: adaptive management strategy and responses to the 2016 coral bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef
Dr. Matt Curnock, Regional Liaison Manager, Tourism and Stewardship, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
2:00pm - 2:20pm Values or Value - An Innovative Approach to Marketing Our National Parks
Patricia Wilkinson, Tourism Strategy - Senior Project Officer, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
2:20pm - 2:40pm Great White Shark Cage Diving
David Lake, Manager Planning and Special Projects, South Australian Tourism Commission
2:40pm - 3:00pm Interactive Panel Discussion
3:00pm - 3:30pm Afternoon Tea
3:30pm - 3:50pm Tomorrow's Profession
Leonie Bowles, Program Manager, Ecotourism Australia

3:50pm - 4:10pm Nature Like Nowhere Else, Activating Nature-Based Tourism in South Australia
Chris Thomas, Program Manager, Parks, Partnerships and Resource Protection, Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources
4:10pm - 4:30pm Innovative Exhibit Design on a Budget
Michael Johnson, Director, Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park
4:30pm - 5:00pm Interactive Panel Discussion

Top ↑

Creating a Walking Destination – The Walking Experience of the Three Capes Track
Venue: Gretel Room, HFCC.
Chair: Dr. Claire Ellis, Consultant, Claire Ellis Consulting and Director, Ecotourism Australia
Time Details
1:30pm Introduction to Workshop
1:40pm - 2:00pm A Walking Experience at the World's Edge – The Birth of the Three Capes Track
Ben Clark, Business Enterprise Coordinator -Three Capes Track, Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service
2:00pm - 2:20pm Three Capes Lodge Design – Part of the Experience
Scott Verdouw, Director, Jaws Architects
2:20pm - 2:40pm Trail Design – More than Putting One Foot in Front of the Other
David Mason, Director, Mountain Trails
2:40pm - 3:00pm Interactive Panel Discussion
3:00pm - 3:30pm Afternoon Tea
3:30pm - 3:50pm Building a Sea Leg into a Walk
Andrew Hennessy, General Manager, Pennicott Wilderness Journeys
3:50pm - 4:10pm Ecological Design for Walking Destinations
Hitesh Mehta, President HM Design
4:10pm - 4:30pm The Great Walks Success Story - The Benefits When Competitors Work Together
Ian Johnstone, Director/Owner, The Maria Island Walk
4:30pm - 5:00pm Interactive Panel Discussion