21-23 October 2015, Sands Expo and Convention Center, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Every year, ITB Asia offers experts, practitioners and pioneers a great stage for responsible tourism topics to be discussed. Wild Asia, ITB Asia’s official CSR partner is proud to put together and announce 2015’s series of Responsible Tourism events. Our line up of speakers have been carefully chosen to provide you with the latest trends, lessons learnt from successful case studies and inspiration needed to help you become better and more sustainable in your business.
Please note that ALL responsible tourism events will be held at the RESPONSIBLE TOURISM HUB, A45 in the main exhibition hall. View floorplan.
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM CLINICS
22 October 2015 (Thursday)
Time | Topic & Speaker(s) |
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10:00 – 10:30am |
ELEPHANTS IN TOURISM: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLYSpeaker: Graham Harper, Director of Educational and Responsible Travel, Buffalo Tours Elephants in captivity are an ethical concern. Rapid tourism growth coupled with inadequate regulations encourage treatment that threaten the survival of these amazing wild creatures.Welfare of elephants must be improved and we believe responsible tourism is the most viable solution. Tourism done right can assist the survival of captive elephants throughout Asia and provide clients with an inspiring experience. This session presents the Good, the Bad & the Ugly of elephant experiences by following the Global Welfare Guidance for Animals in Tourism developed by ABTA, Travelife Sustainability criteria, Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism & Sports Elephant Standard, and Buffalo Tours captive elephant camp checklist. |
10:30 – 11:00am |
HOW TO USE TOURISM AS AN INCENTIVE FOR CONSERVATION: STORIES FROM CAMBODIA, LAOS & MYANMARSpeaker: Paul Eshoo, Regional Conservation Enterprise Advisor, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Tourism is often described as a way to provide alternative livelihoods for people living around protected areas. For the sake of conservation, this general theory may be more effective with more targeted incentives for the protection of specific species. The use of incentives through tourism payments is being explored by WCS at sites in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Lessons learned can be applied by others in the industry with little cost and high impact. |
11:00 – 11:30am |
BUILDING COMMUNITY FUND & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIESSpeaker: Chananya Phataraprasit, Founder, Asian Oasis Travel The presentation will focus on the philosophy of Asian Oasis Travel and the concept of sustainable tourism. It will cover the company’s main principles, which are preservation, development, sustainability and delivery, with overview of how each principle is implemented and the result. We will also share our challenges and success stories. |
11:30am – 12:00pm |
BOTSWANA & SUSTAINABLE TOURISMSpeaker: Thabo Brian Dithebe, Chief Executive Officer, Botswana Tourism Organisation |
12:00 – 12:30pm |
ADVENTURE TOURISM: THE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM OPPORTUNITY FOR EMERGING MARKETSSpeaker: Shannon Stowell, President, Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) Shannon Stowell will provide an overview and definition of adventure tourism and discuss the market and environmental opportunity it represents today. Included in his presentation are statistics on the market value of the global adventure tourism market and results from original survey research into the preferences and behaviors of U.S. adventure travelers (one of the largest source markets for international adventure travel). Included are survey results indicating an interest in Asian destinations for adventure travel. Mr. Stowell will also share information on when adventure tourism product development makes sense for a destination, trending activities, the importance of environmental management and tour operator best practices in securing a competitive position in the global marketplace for adventure experiences, and the triple bottom line benefits of adventure tourism market development. |
2:30 – 3:00pm |
QUALITY & PROFITABLE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM: ECOLODGES INDONESIA’S STORYSpeakers: Gede Ori Ariandika, General Manager and Steve Noakes, Director, Ecolodges Indonesia Ecolodges Indonesia (ELI) is a for-profit social enterprise with an inclusive business model that focusses on biodiversity conservation and improving the livelihoods of its staff and immediate suppliers. The company is guided by veterinary medicine specialists, volunteer environmentalists and sustainable tourism professionals from within Indonesia and internationally. All five of the ecolodges is subject to an in-house ecological plan which has enabled one of the ecolodges to achieve a carbon footprint more than 30 times less than the average in the tourism hotspot of Kuta,Bali. |
3:00 – 3:30pm |
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TOURISMSpeaker: Mariglo Laririt, Director of Environment and Sustainability, El Nido Resorts El Nido is a small municipality in the Philippines. Typical of most of the country’s coastal villages, its economic base was fishing, using a variety of methods legal or not, until the late ‘70s. El Nido’s natural environment, however, is far from typical. It is an area of extraordinary biodiversity and stunning vistas. Doors were opened to Tourism when Ten Knots set up a rustic dive camp in one of the islands. Three and a half decades later, Tourism’s footprint is evident in every aspect of life in El Nido. For better or for worse, who is responsible? |
3:30 – 4:00pm |
CONSERVATION & TRAVEL: GIANT PANDAS, EDUCATION AND VOLUNTEERING IN CHINASpeaker: Luo Peng, Founder, Eco Action Based on EcoAction’s successful pilots trips, Hainan Tropical Forest, Giant Panda, and Asian Elephant, Luo Peng will explain the holistic approach of integrating nature, wildlife, community and education into her tours. Her unique business model combines key elements that make up a destination – the environment, wildlife and people dependant on it. EcoAction have helped connect urban travellers with China’s amazing and diverse ecosystem. |
4:00 – 4:30pm |
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES: THE KEY TO COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISMSpeaker: Yurie Nagashima, Business & Development Manager, Kinyei Kinyei has been operating two small businesses, a bicycle tour operator and a café, while employing local youth in Battambang, Cambodia. Kinyei has always regarded the partnership with local communities as critical for the businesses to thrive and become sustainable. The road has not been easy, however, especially when the businesses are small, just starting, have limited capital, and need to compete in a competitive market. The presentation will highlight the activities Kinyei has done with the local communities, how we train and manage local youth to become competent and confident professionals, and challenges and lessons learned along the way. |
4:30 – 5:00pm |
HOTEL RESILIENT: STRENGTHENING THE RESILIENCE OF THE TOURISM SECTORSpeakers: Hanna Maier, Junior Advisor, Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) A single disaster event has the potential to cause widespread damage and economic disruption, affecting private and public investments in tourism destinations, and the country’s image and reputation, while posing a threat to the lives of tourist, workers and surrounding communities. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is collaborating with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Asia and Pacific (UNISDR) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) within the framework of the Global Initiative on Disaster Risk Management (GIDRM) to improve climate and disaster risk management and to strengthen resilience in hotels and throughout destinations. |
“SUSTAINABLE TOURISM STORIES: THE BEST IN ASIA”
23 October 2015 (Friday)
This special two-hour segment will feature notable and inspiring operators who have gone above and beyond to make business sustainable. As a result, destinations are preserved, local communities are uplifted and travel is celebrated through responsible efforts on both the operator and traveller. Join us for an amazing time as we discover, listen and watch a collection of award-winning short films on leading sustainable tourism stories around the world, learn from Wild Asia’s 2015 Responsible Tourism Award finalists and winners and have the chance to be a member of the Asian Ecotourism Network. Let’s learn, be inspired and make a difference!
Time | Details |
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11:00am – 12:00pm |
SHORT-FILM SHOWCASE: THE POWER OF DESTINATION STORYTELLING GLOBALLYSpeaker: Rob Holmes, Chief Storyteller, GLP Films Join ITB Asia and GLP Films for their 1st Annual Short-Film Showcase celebrating award-winning short-films on leading sustainable tourism stories from destinations around the globe. Short-films will include selections from GLP Films’ partnerships with leading travel brands, plus new films highlighting up and coming destinations. Join us for this special event!Target Audience: tourism boards, CEO’s and destination marketing professionals, tour operators, media, travel brands |
12:00 – 1:00pm |
INSPIRING OPERATORS IN ASIA: WILD ASIA’S 2015 RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARD FINALISTS & WINNERSSpeaker: Nicolas Dubrocard, Associate Advisor, Wild Asia The Wild Asia Awards was the first of its kind to identify Asia based sustainability superstars in the travel industry, and remains the only regional responsible tourism awards. The Awards are based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Criteria, and provide a unique opportunity for tourism businesses and projects to benchmark their work against international standards. The Award winners are leaders in their destinations, making change that will help shape the future of travel for the better. This is your chance to glean from Asia’s leading sustainable tourism organisations. THE NEW PLATFORM TO INTERWEAVE THE PEOPLES OF ASIA, CONSERVATION AND TOURISMSpeaker: Masaru Takayama, Founding Chair and Supaporn Prachumpai, Secretary, Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN) As of June 2, 2015, Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN) was established in Bangkok with the aids of Thai government, DASTA. The Network will supply more hands-on connections and relevant opportunities for members working together at a regional level. It will provide more networking and business opportunities, significant information, educational materials and networking prospects to both small and large organisations within Asia. The founding member countries comprise of Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, China, South Korea, Mongolia, India, Laos, Pakistan, Bhutan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Philippines and Australia. Be there to learn how you can engage and grow together with AEN! |
** Note – All sessions and speakers are subject to change. All changes will be updated on this webpage.
Event organised and supported ITB Asia, Wild Asia and The Blue Yonder.
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