Conference 2006

Ecotourism in New Zealand Conference 9 - 11 August 2006

Tai Poutini Polytechnic, on the West Coast of the Southern Alps, hosted the Ecotourism in New Zealand Conference in Greymouth on the 9th to 11th of August 2006.

The objectives of the conference were to:

Support niche ecotourism businesses by examining how to create additional value from ecotourism without adding significant cost
Foster effective partnerships between ecotourism operators and supporting agencies
Showcase the West Coast as a leading ecotourism region in New Zealand
Review the status of ecotourism in New Zealand and plan for the future
Understand the interrelationships between ecotourism, heritage tourism, cultural tourism and creative tourism
To ensure that ecotourism principles for the West Coast region reflect best practice and
Develop strategies to support ecotourism in New Zealand.

Outlined below is the conference programme and links to presenters’ notes or presentations that were given at the conference:

DAY 1	WEDNESDAY 9 AUGUST
OPENING ADDRESS	Hon. Damien O’Connor MP West Coast Tasman
UNDERSTANDING ECOTOURISM
Trends in Outdoor Tourism 2006	Ralf Buckley Director of the International Centre for Ecotourism Research at Griffith University
Ecotourism in New Zealand - the scope and scale of ecotourism in New Zealand and its links with other tourism activities	Associate Professor James Higham University of Otago
A regional perspective – the status of ecotourism on the West Coast	Brian MacKenzie Director Planning and Development Tai Poutini Polytechnic
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT IN NEW ZEALAND
How well are we protecting and managing our natural tourism resources	Andy Thompson National Concessions and Tourism Manager Department of Conservation
Managing growth within a world heritage national park	Paul Norris Area Manager Milford-Doubtful Sound Operations Real Journeys

DAY 2	THURSDAY 10 AUGUST
REGIONAL SUSTAINABLE MANAGMENT
A regional perspective – what are the challenges facing the West Coast?	Mike Slater West Coast Conservator Department of Conservation
Tourism at the end of the road	Malcom Hansen Project Manager Oparara Valley Trust
INTERPRETATION AND INFLUENCING BEHAVIOUR
The role of interpretation in ecotourism operations	Pat Devlin Lincoln University
The art of story telling and how to communicate to different cultures	Heather and Maurice Manawatu Maori Tours Kaikoura

DAY 3	FRIDAY 11 AUGUST
ECOTOURISM A WEST COAST PERSPECTIVE
Ecotourism and New Zealand’s target traveller: Where is ecotourism positioned with visitors, who visits ecotourism activities and what are their expectations?	Lyska Nelson Marketing Research Manager Tourism New Zealand
Customer satisfaction – a West Coast perspective	David Simmons Professor of Tourism Lincoln University
Regional initiatives – and their impact on ecotourism on the West Coast	Mike Trousselot CEO Development West Coast
A snapshot of the tourism industry on the West Coast	Sandra Rhodda Development Officer Tourism Industry Training Tai Poutini Polytechnic
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Nature-based tourism – advantages of collaborative partnerships between training institutions and tourism operators	Larni Gibson Trainer and Workplace Assessor Drysdale Institute (Tasmania)
The story of ecotourism training on the West Coast to date	John Kennedy Ecotourism Programme Co-ordinator Tai Poutini Polytechnic
STANDARDS
Is it time to adopt and ecotourism standard? If so, what would work best?	Alice Crabtree Director Asia Pacific The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)
MANAGING YOUR BUSINESS
Living with the Resource Management Act	Camilla Owen Partner Duncan Cotterill
Marketing your business to national and international visitors	Peter Morrison Marketing Consultant

© 2006. Each presentation is protected by the author's copyright, and that the author's permission should be sought before using the information. By way of general exemption, permission is not required where the information is used as part of academic study or research, and is appropriately referenced.