Sustainable Tourism: Why the urgency ?

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has announced that Ms. Catherine Anne Parsons, Executive Director of Green Globe Asia Pacific will deliver the closing keynote address entitled “How Much Time Do We Have – Why the Urgency?” at the 1st PATA Sustainable Tourism Conference and Mart, October 23-26, 2002 in Banten, Western Java, Indonesia.

The speech will be about the compelling need to conserve the world’s natural resources within a limited timeframe.

Under the theme: ”Protecting Indigenous Culture and the Environment for Sustainable Growth,” the event is being developed as a forum for tourism business people to meet with the academic community to discuss the development and promotion of sustainable tourism initiatives. Such initiatives should be sensitive, practical and profitable. The event will feature well-researched conference sessions and case studies, a mart showcasing sustainable tourism products and services, an off-site workshop for hands-on cultural audit exercises, and pre- and post- event tours.

With 15 years of experience as a senior executive for the Australian government, Ms. Parsons played an advisory role to the Australian Minister for the Environment, advising on the environmental impact of national projects referred to the federal government. She was a key player in developing the Australian Nature and Ecotourism Accreditation Programme. Ms. Parsons has been a member of the Environment Committee of Tourism Council Australia. She served as a representative of the Wet Tropics Management Authority Board and contributed to reviews of tourism on the Great Barrier Reef and the operation of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. 

To attend the 1st PATA Sustainable Tourism Conference & Mart, the conference-only fee is US$150 for PATA members, US$220 for chapter members, US$375 for non-members and US$60 for PATA Young Tourism Professionals. The local conference-only registration fee is US$80 for PATA Indonesia members and US$120 for non-PATA members and accompanying persons. 

For the mart component of the event, the seller fee is US$400 per person for PATA members, US$500 for chapter members, US$650 for non-members and US$200 for additional seller. The buyer fee is US$170 for PATA members, US$200 for Chapter members and US$250 for non-members.