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Sustainable Tourism Study Tour. NOT MfE policy. 7 th June – 13 th July 2008 Costa Rica, Canada, Europe, UK Eric Park Senior Operator, Tourism & Major Events Ministry for Environment. NOT MfE policy. Purpose
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Sustainable Tourism Study Tour NOT MfE policy 7th June – 13th July 2008 Costa Rica, Canada, Europe, UK Eric Park Senior Operator, Tourism & Major Events Ministry for Environment
NOT MfE policy Purpose • Attend 4th International Taskforce on Sustainable Tourism Development, UNEP meeting, Costa Rica • What our environmentally conscious markets want • What our competitors are doing to be sustainable
NOT MfE policy Learning points • Principled approach – what you don’twant • Need a crisis? • We have competition – inspiring/education • Future markets/marketing • Growing public understanding • Major events
Principled approach • Whistler 2020 vision • 250 partners implement • 2/3 actions approved • No to big box development, fossil fuel based events, airport
Need a crisis? • Highest de-forestation rate in world to largest percentage of land being preserved (Costa Rica 1940–1950 to 2008) • Growing up with acid rain, forests dying, Chernobyl fallout (Germany) • Golf course encroaching on wetlands remnants 28% (Whistler 1996)
German carbon offsetting brochure Worst place in world to go for carbon emissions
We have competition • Carbon Neutral Network - Costa Rica, Norway, Iceland and NZ • Scotland – Tourism Board Chairman’s aspiration/challenge • Inspiring guests to live differently once home – President, World Ecotourism Org
Competition – inspiring/education • $NZ 5m/year into North Berwick community • More global reach from seabird.org (720,000 hits)
Future markets? • TNZ “life changing experience” • Germans • Dream dest. /furthest away place (S/FA) • Want to trust us (FA) • Deeper experience of country (S) • UK Travel Foundation • 60% UK outbound tours, 75% funded by cust. donations, Fed Tour Op - 5 years customers decide on sustainability
Marketing • Inbound tourism operators (Rainforest Alliance) • educating customers • requiring of suppliers • German outbound operator • UNEP Green Travel Bridge • Scottish Green Travel Guide
Grow public understanding Green passport www.unep.fr/greenpassport/ Greening hotels UNEP CD Sowing the seeds of change Green Ants –children painting to save $US 30m/year stream clean up – CR power co.
Major events • 1. Know what you want (2020) • 2. Start with principles & stick to them • 3. Strategic approach • Winter Olympics – $2m-$12m invested brings $10’s of millions Fed investment • 2 billion first dates (not milk while here) and • naming rights – media exposure
NOT MfE policy Summary • NZ can take a principled approach – ecotourism can lead • See the looming crisis and act now • Growing public understanding • The world expects us to be inspiring - too
“Keep NZ this unique country, protect our image for the betterment of everyone” John Anderson, founder, Contiki • “ecotourism is NZ tourism – the only option for each and every tourism operator” Hon Damien O’Connor, Minister of Tourism