Ecotourism Conference - Call for Speakers

LEADING TOURISM INDUSTRY CONFERENCE SEEKING BEST PRACTICE CASE
STUDIES ON ECOTOURISM AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS STRATEGIES

Call for Speakers Now Open for the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference 2011 - September 19-21, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA

WASHINGTON, February 15, 2011 - The ECOTOURISM AND SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM CONFERENCE (ESTC), now in its fifth year, is a unique annual tourism industry conference providing practical solutions and innovative ideas to help green the tourism industry. Organized by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), this year's ESTC is being held from September 19-21, 2011, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA. The ESTC organizers are currently seeking quality submissions of speaker proposals highlighting key ecotourism and sustainable tourism best practice case studies.

Dr. Kelly Bricker, TIES Board Chair and ESTC Co-Chair, urges sustainability experts, business leaders and policy makers to be an active part of the conference by taking advantage of the speaking opportunity at the ESTC. The ESTC 2011 will be a key meeting place for industry pioneers and those who are driving change in ecotourism and sustainable tourism, said Dr. Bricker. This is a great platform to share your knowledge and expertise with hundreds of key
industry players, and engage in dialogue promoting innovative ideas and inspiring solutions for a greener future of tourism.

The ESTC 2011 will feature presentations and discussions with the goal of helping tourism businesses and professionals gain necessary tools and resources to effectively implement social, environmental and economic sustainability practices. Designed around four main tracks Business Sustainability Practices; Conservation and Communities; Partnerships in Press, Policies and Politics; and Places and Experiences the ESTC 2011 sessions offer insights into questions such as:

* /What does it mean for mass tourism to go green;
* /What makes some community-based ecotourism projects successful
- and others unsuccessful - in becoming viable businesses
* /How can tourism businesses better partner with policy-makers
working on land management and permitting practices
* /What does it take to become a frequently-written-about tourism
business
* /How is interpretation used to effectively develop and promote
memorable experiences

The deadline for ESTC 2011 speaker application is Monday, March 21st, 2011. For more details on the proposed session topics and speaker submission guidelines, please see:
WWW.ECOTOURISMCONFERENCE.ORG

MEDIA CONTACT:

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)
Ayako Ezaki, Director of Communications
Email: media@ecotourism.org[5]
Phone: +1 202-503-5066

Hilton Head Island Visitor & Convention Bureau
Jessica Gardo, Manager, Marketing & PR
Email: jgardo@hiltonheadisland.org[6]
Phone: +1 843-341-8377

Eco-Business Zone planned and funded around Toronto's Pearson International Airport

Green Municipal Fund supports the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s Pearson's planned Eco-business Zone

February 10, 2011, Toronto, Ont. – Hans Cunningham, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and director of the Regional District of Central Kootenay, B.C., and the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources, today announced a Green Municipal FundTM (GMF) grant of $68,069 for the Region of Peel, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. Together the partners have made an investment to develop North America’s largest eco-business zone on more than 12,000 hectares of industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) land surrounding Toronto Pearson International Airport

"Through the use of sustainability indicators, the plan assesses baseline levels of energy and water consumption and land use, while also setting targets for improvement in these areas. The plan lays the groundwork for eco-business infrastructure projects in the areas of transit, district energy, wastewater treatment, waste-to-energy initiatives and brownfield redevelopment."

For more information: - see the Press Release on www.fcm.ca/gmf