ECOTOURISM CONFERENCE TO HIGHLIGHT COMMUNITY BASED PROJECTS

About 25 operators of small Thai ecotourism ventures and environmentally-conscious hotels and attractions will gather at Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) between September 7-8, 2000, for the 4th International Ecotourism Conference. Hosted by the University’s Institute of Ecotourism, the conference is designed entirely to highlight the significance of local community participation in sustainable tourism development.

About 100 delegates from both tourism-related private companies and government agencies in Thailand and throughout the Asia- Pacific are expected to participate. They will include international experts, entrepreneurs, academics, researchers, governmental officers, local authorities and students.

The Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office and Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Chairman H.E. Mr. Adisai Bodharamik will deliver a keynote address on “Ecotourism for Sustainable Development” on September 7. Delegates will explore the ups and downs of ecotourism development ventures by local communities in Thailand and other Asia-Pacific countries.

Dr Payom Dhammabutra, director of the Ecotourism Institute said, “We want this conference to be a practical, learning experience for all the participants. It has been specifically designed around inter-active case-studies at which successful operators will share their ideas and also get some feedback from the participants.”

The conference will be divided into two distinct sessions. The morning session will feature interesting and informative keynote addresses and lectures by Thai and Asia-Pacific specialists while the afternoon session will be devoted purely to group discussions and case studies.

Topics will include “Heritage Tourism and Community Development” and “Heritage Tourism and Visitor Interpretation” by Oxford Brookes University and the European Union, “Strategic Environmental Assessment for Ecotourism Development Planning” by the Institute of Ecotourism of SWU, “Sustainable Heritage Management and Tourism in the Asia Pacific” by UNESCO, etc.

The registration fee is 1,000 Baht including two lunches, four coffee breaks and conference materials.