10:00 – 10:30am 

ELEPHANTS IN TOURISM: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

Speaker: 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 & MYANMAR 

Speaker: 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 OPPORTUNITIES 

Speaker: 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 TOURISM 

Speaker: Thabo Brian Dithebe, Chief Executive Officer, Botswana Tourism Organisation 

12:00 – 12:30pm

ADVENTURE TOURISM: THE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM OPPORTUNITY FOR EMERGING MARKETS  

Speaker: 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 STORY  

Speakers: 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 TOURISM 

Speaker: 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 CHINA

Speaker: 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 TOURISM 

Speaker: 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 SECTOR

Speakers: 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.

11:00am – 12:00pm

SHORT-FILM SHOWCASE: THE POWER OF DESTINATION STORYTELLING GLOBALLY

Speaker: 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 & WINNERS

Speaker: 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 TOURISM

Speaker: 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!