Sessions
Being Part of the Solution
Focus
This session will focus on the environmental responsibilities of travel industry operators, suppliers and host communities. It will examine means to an effective and efficient reduction of the footprint of operations and the resulting positive benefits for the operator, the community and travellers.
Learning Objectives:
Innovative approaches to auditing operations and steps towards greater sustainability
Best practices in being sustainable tourism operators
Ways and means to work collaboratively with other members of tourism community
How communities can benefit socially and economically through contributing to heritage conservation and appreciation
Keynote Speaker
Costas Christ, Judging Chairman, World Travel and Tourism Council Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
Panel Discussion
Rick Stanley - owner of Ocean Quest, a nationally award-winning Dive Centre and Adventure Resort
David Butler - Director of Sustainability for Canadian Mountain Holidays
Alexandre Ferland - Chief of Environmental Management, Parks Canada
This session will focus on the environmental responsibilities of travel industry operators, suppliers and host communities. It will examine means to an effective and efficient reduction of the footprint of operations and the resulting positive benefits for the operator, the community and travellers.
Learning Objectives:
Innovative approaches to auditing operations and steps towards greater sustainability
Best practices in being sustainable tourism operators
Ways and means to work collaboratively with other members of tourism community
How communities can benefit socially and economically through contributing to heritage conservation and appreciation
Keynote Speaker
Costas Christ, Judging Chairman, World Travel and Tourism Council Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
Panel Discussion
Rick Stanley - owner of Ocean Quest, a nationally award-winning Dive Centre and Adventure Resort
David Butler - Director of Sustainability for Canadian Mountain Holidays
Alexandre Ferland - Chief of Environmental Management, Parks Canada
Responsible Travellers – Motivating Traveller Engagement
Focus
Travellers are this session's principal focus – presentations and discussions will address how SME's communities, DMO's and others can "inform, influence and involve" travellers in the pursuit of sustainable tourism goals. Understanding the social motivations of travellers and providing relevant opportunities for engagement will be a primary goal of the session.
Learning Objectives:
Which travellers are most responsive to sustainable tourism opportunities?
What types of contribution opportunities or travel practices are most popular?
Which social values of travellers make them most predisposed to sustainable activities?
Which are the best ways and means for travellers to be responsible and contribute?
Which messages and information motivate responsible travel actions?
How can we best involve travellers in advancing sustainable tourism?
Keynote Speaker
Tony Wheeler – Co-Founder Lonely Planet – recent publication "Code Green"
Panel Discussion
Barry Watson – President, Environics Research - Evolving Social Values of Canadians
Michele McKenzie – CEO, Canadian Tourism Commission – Determining Traveller Motivations and desires and linking these with sustainable tourism
David Clemmons – Voluntourism.org – Canadian and International trends
Travellers are this session's principal focus – presentations and discussions will address how SME's communities, DMO's and others can "inform, influence and involve" travellers in the pursuit of sustainable tourism goals. Understanding the social motivations of travellers and providing relevant opportunities for engagement will be a primary goal of the session.
Learning Objectives:
Which travellers are most responsive to sustainable tourism opportunities?
What types of contribution opportunities or travel practices are most popular?
Which social values of travellers make them most predisposed to sustainable activities?
Which are the best ways and means for travellers to be responsible and contribute?
Which messages and information motivate responsible travel actions?
How can we best involve travellers in advancing sustainable tourism?
Keynote Speaker
Tony Wheeler – Co-Founder Lonely Planet – recent publication "Code Green"
Panel Discussion
Barry Watson – President, Environics Research - Evolving Social Values of Canadians
Michele McKenzie – CEO, Canadian Tourism Commission – Determining Traveller Motivations and desires and linking these with sustainable tourism
David Clemmons – Voluntourism.org – Canadian and International trends
Addressing the Triple Bottom Lines of Sustainable Tourism
Focus
The business case for sustainable tourism relies on our ability to integrate the principles of sustainable tourism into the business planning process in a meaningful and profitable manner. Through sharing of experiences and perspectives from within and external to the tourism industry, this session will explore some best practices for integrating sustainability principles into planning, marketing, people development, product delivery, public relations, and branding processes.
Learning Objectives:
What a successful sustainable tourism business and its community looks like.
How social values are influencing the bottom line and sustainable leadership
The impact of social values on people management and client relations
What are the best ways and means for operators and communities to be responsible?
How can we best involve other travel operators in collaboratively advancing sustainable tourism?
The value of promoting responsible practices. Does the customer care?
Keynote Speaker
Bruce Poon Tip - President G.A.P Adventures and Founder Planeterra Foundation
Panel Discussion
Kristine MacPhee - Deloitte & Touche Corporate Finance Canada Inc
Connie MacDonald – Director of People for Canadian Mountain Holidays
Bruce Smith – Founder and Owner, Seascape Kayak Tours
The business case for sustainable tourism relies on our ability to integrate the principles of sustainable tourism into the business planning process in a meaningful and profitable manner. Through sharing of experiences and perspectives from within and external to the tourism industry, this session will explore some best practices for integrating sustainability principles into planning, marketing, people development, product delivery, public relations, and branding processes.
Learning Objectives:
What a successful sustainable tourism business and its community looks like.
How social values are influencing the bottom line and sustainable leadership
The impact of social values on people management and client relations
What are the best ways and means for operators and communities to be responsible?
How can we best involve other travel operators in collaboratively advancing sustainable tourism?
The value of promoting responsible practices. Does the customer care?
Keynote Speaker
Bruce Poon Tip - President G.A.P Adventures and Founder Planeterra Foundation
Panel Discussion
Kristine MacPhee - Deloitte & Touche Corporate Finance Canada Inc
Connie MacDonald – Director of People for Canadian Mountain Holidays
Bruce Smith – Founder and Owner, Seascape Kayak Tours
The Real Thing – Cultural/Community Tourism
Focus
Communities, cultural organizations, artists, and tourism operators providing cultural heritage experiences are the focus of this session. When speaking of Sustainable Tourism most people quickly go to financial, or environmental sustainability. Less common in the discussion is the sustaining of local culture and expressions of that culture. At this gathering we hope to highlight this third element. More specifically, we would like to highlight the role of the arts and heritage as an excellent bridge between the expression of culture/pride of place and the opportunity for memorable visitor experience. We will explore authenticity of this artistic expression in a tourism context - fakelore vs. folklore – and how cultural expressions that respect the grassroots of traditional heritage can grow in the contemporary context and remain authentic and relevant. As well, we will explore the social values that lead travelers, attraction operators and communities to become involved in sustainable cultural expressions.
Presentations and discussions will provide opportunities to learn from real successes and best practices and give insight into new venues of exploration. Open space discussions will facilitate further sharing of insights and identification of collaborative opportunities.
Learning Objectives:
How can contemporary culture and artistic expression contribute to making the culture and history of a region of interest to travelers, reflect the ongoing values of the community and ensure the sustainability of the culture?
What is the role of the arts: visual, theatrical and musical in revealing meaning and connection to place, in contributing to the social and cultural life of communities and involving talented people involved in cultural industries in sustainable tourism?
What information, knowledge and training do communities/ regions need to be able to identify and capitalize on unique features and to ensure longevity of these key elements of sustainable tourism?
How can communities value their reality and take leadership to improve quality of community life?
How can communities capitalize on travellers' motivations and interests?
How to achieve the practice of sustainability as a core value in the business model through long-term commitment of programs, incentives, and expertise.
Folklore or Fakelore? - How authenticity is key to sustainable tourism in contrast to tourism opportunities that are designed to capture the tourist while pretending to be real.
Emerging initiatives in the field of intangible cultural heritage
Keynote Speaker
Jonathan Katz, CEO of the National Assembly of State Art Agencies
Panel Discussion
Gaylene Buckle – Executive Director, Gros Morne Theatre Festival
Gary Clarke - Chair, Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve & Owner/Operator Sam Jake's Inn
Joella Foulds - Artistic Director, Celtic Colours International Festival
Communities, cultural organizations, artists, and tourism operators providing cultural heritage experiences are the focus of this session. When speaking of Sustainable Tourism most people quickly go to financial, or environmental sustainability. Less common in the discussion is the sustaining of local culture and expressions of that culture. At this gathering we hope to highlight this third element. More specifically, we would like to highlight the role of the arts and heritage as an excellent bridge between the expression of culture/pride of place and the opportunity for memorable visitor experience. We will explore authenticity of this artistic expression in a tourism context - fakelore vs. folklore – and how cultural expressions that respect the grassroots of traditional heritage can grow in the contemporary context and remain authentic and relevant. As well, we will explore the social values that lead travelers, attraction operators and communities to become involved in sustainable cultural expressions.
Presentations and discussions will provide opportunities to learn from real successes and best practices and give insight into new venues of exploration. Open space discussions will facilitate further sharing of insights and identification of collaborative opportunities.
Learning Objectives:
How can contemporary culture and artistic expression contribute to making the culture and history of a region of interest to travelers, reflect the ongoing values of the community and ensure the sustainability of the culture?
What is the role of the arts: visual, theatrical and musical in revealing meaning and connection to place, in contributing to the social and cultural life of communities and involving talented people involved in cultural industries in sustainable tourism?
What information, knowledge and training do communities/ regions need to be able to identify and capitalize on unique features and to ensure longevity of these key elements of sustainable tourism?
How can communities value their reality and take leadership to improve quality of community life?
How can communities capitalize on travellers' motivations and interests?
How to achieve the practice of sustainability as a core value in the business model through long-term commitment of programs, incentives, and expertise.
Folklore or Fakelore? - How authenticity is key to sustainable tourism in contrast to tourism opportunities that are designed to capture the tourist while pretending to be real.
Emerging initiatives in the field of intangible cultural heritage
Keynote Speaker
Jonathan Katz, CEO of the National Assembly of State Art Agencies
Panel Discussion
Gaylene Buckle – Executive Director, Gros Morne Theatre Festival
Gary Clarke - Chair, Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve & Owner/Operator Sam Jake's Inn
Joella Foulds - Artistic Director, Celtic Colours International Festival
Moving Forward Together
Focus
The focus of this session will be to work with the Champions and build a real community and small enterprise base to give Canada a competitive advantage in a tourism world now looking at being more sustainable and responsible.
The session will examine the theme "Moving Forward Together" from both a national level and an individual / local level.
Learning Objectives:
Opportunities for collaborative action – regional and national
Mechanism and best practices for working collaborative
How to get Traction
Keynote Speaker
Jonathan Tourtellot, National Geographic Sustainable Tourism
Panel Discussion
The leaders of Canada's leading tourism organizations will briefly outline the direction which their organizations are taking in support of the advancement of sustainable tourism.
Canadian Tourism Commission
Parks Canada
Tourism Industry Association of Canada
Highlights of Previous Days Discussions (10 minute presentations)
Facilitators of the previous days' open space discussion sessions will present four brief overviews of specific small group discussions and their recommended "opportunities for immediate action".
Responsible Travellers – Motivating Traveller Engagement
Addressing the Triple Bottom Lines of Sustainable Tourism
Being a Part of the Solution
Experiencing the Real Thing – a destination's culture and people
The focus of this session will be to work with the Champions and build a real community and small enterprise base to give Canada a competitive advantage in a tourism world now looking at being more sustainable and responsible.
The session will examine the theme "Moving Forward Together" from both a national level and an individual / local level.
Learning Objectives:
Opportunities for collaborative action – regional and national
Mechanism and best practices for working collaborative
How to get Traction
Keynote Speaker
Jonathan Tourtellot, National Geographic Sustainable Tourism
Panel Discussion
The leaders of Canada's leading tourism organizations will briefly outline the direction which their organizations are taking in support of the advancement of sustainable tourism.
Canadian Tourism Commission
Parks Canada
Tourism Industry Association of Canada
Highlights of Previous Days Discussions (10 minute presentations)
Facilitators of the previous days' open space discussion sessions will present four brief overviews of specific small group discussions and their recommended "opportunities for immediate action".
Responsible Travellers – Motivating Traveller Engagement
Addressing the Triple Bottom Lines of Sustainable Tourism
Being a Part of the Solution
Experiencing the Real Thing – a destination's culture and people
