Who should attend the ESTC 2008?

Are you...

greening your tourism business?

looking for networking opportunities to connect with other industry leaders and potential partners? interested in increasing your presence in the exciting field of ecotourism and sustainable tourism in the US and Canada?

involved in the industry as a researcher, educator, traveler or student?

Or do you...

represent an organization working in the fields of conservation, green technologies, natural resources management, green energy, and other industry segments and professional fields associated with ecotourism and sustainable tourism?

work with local and regional Conventions & Visitors Bureau (CVB’s) and want to make your destination greener?

have sustainability initiatives that are in line with the ESTC 2008 Mission and Goals?


If YES, join the 500+ experts, industry leaders and community stakeholders gathering in Vancouver from across the region at the ESTC 2008, October 27-29, 2008!

• ESTC 2008 Selected Speakers
• Participating Organizations
  

If you haven't registered yet, hurry and sign up online now - early-bird registration closes on Monday, August 25.

Registration Now Open for the ESTC 2008

Utilizing innovative multi-stakeholder strategies, the ESTC 2008 promotes sustainable change for greening the tourism industry in the U.S. and Canada. We are happy to announce that registration for the ESTC 2008 is now open!

We encourage you to register now to become part of this important annual event, and take advantage of all the learning and networking opportunities that the conference offers.

Learn more & get involved...

• ESTC 2008 Mission and Goals
  
• Who's participating in the ESTC 2008?
• Support and get involved in the ESTC 2008
  

On Air - Wed June 25, 5pm EST

An interview with Kelly Bricker, Chair of TIES Board of Directors, will be on air next Wednesday, June 25 at 5pm EST on LifeTips Radio. Don't miss it - Listen to the show to learn eco-tips and the latest in ecotourism and green travel!


LifeTips Radio is a nationwide talk radio show that focuses on the green cause, discussing ways to go green and supporting businesses and companies that are sharing in the green movement. LifeTips Radio shows are broardcast live from its studio in Boston, MA, and broadcast nationwide via web radio. (Unfortunately, the shows are currently not available outside of the U.S.)

Tune in to hear the interview on Wednesday June 25 (5pm EST) at: http://www.lifetips.com/about/radio-show.html. You can also check out the LifeTips show archive for past interviews and valuable life tips on a variety of topics - from eco-weddings and wildlife conservation to "how to brew your own organic beer."

Related links:

• ECOCLUB interview: Kelly Bricker (May 2008)
• TIES in the News
  

EcoCurrents - Water Conservation

The latest edition of TIES' EcoCurrents eMagazine is ready!

The theme for this edition is water conservation and sustainable water management in ecotourism, and it includes useful tips for travelers, resources for ecotourism businesses, and best practice examples from around the world.

In this issue:
Water Conservation Best Practices and Tips
Sukau Rainforest Lodge
Maho Bay Camps
Lapa Rios Ecolodge
Resources on Sustainable Water Management
Cross-Cultural Native Fibre Weavers Project
The Green Guide to the Mexican Caribbean
Special Report: Community Based Ecotourism in Mongolia

EcoCurrents is the quarterly e-magazine of TIES, featuring current industry trends, best practice examples and critical issues in ecotourism and responsible travel. The eMagazine is available to TIES members of all levels as part of their membership benefits. See here for more information.

Sharing Global Knowledge and Enhancing Local Experiences

On April 30, TIES is organizing a unique full-day event in Washington, DC - “Global Knowledge & Local Experiences ~ Your Travel Choice Makes a Difference!”

As part of our efforts to promote ecotourism and sustainable practices locally and globally, this unique event combines a guided eco-tour of the Washington DC area and a free public evening forum.

DC Eco-Tour: Check out the greener side of Washington DC!

The tour will highlight eco-friendly and sustainable sites and educational opportunities available in the DC area. Focusing on key principles of ecotourism and sustainable travel, the tour will will feature interpretation on DC’s green initiatives by leading sustainability specialists.

This is a perfect opportunity for both local residents and visitors to explore the Capital in a unique way, and enjoy a variety of local green experiences. The tour sites include: Rock Creek Park, the American Indian Museum, the Senate Rain Garden, the Anacostia Watershed and the National Arboretum.


Public Forum: Indigenous Business Leaders in Ecotourism

Held in partnership with the Embassy of Sweden and the Swedish Ecotourism Society, the forum will offer dynamic perspectives on conservation, cultural issues, and sustainable business practices, enhancing local experience with global knowledge.

Photo from last year's public forum "Traveling with Climate in Mind"

2008 Ecotourism Gala & Auction Featured Speaker

For our members and friends in the Washington, DC area (and those who will be in town around May 1), here's yet another wonderful reason to attend TIES' Ecotourism Gala & Auction: our featured guest speaker, Alexandra Cousteau, co-founder of EarthEcho International, and an inspirational social environmental advocate, will share her passion for adventure and conservation.

To learn more about the event and to purchase tickets, please click here.

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Alexandra Cousteau is dedicated to advocating the importance of conservation and sustainable management of water resources in order to preserve a healthy planet. Her global initiative seeks to inspire and empower individuals to protect not only the ocean and its inhabitants, but also the human communities that rely on the purity of our freshwater resources.

Because of Alexandra's tremendous work and relentless dedication towards these environmental issues, she was honored as a member of National Geographic's "Emerging Explorers" Class of 2008. The program is comprised of eleven visionaries and young trailblazers from around the world who have pushed the boundaries of discovery, adventure, and global problem solving.

Granddaughter of legendary explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Alexandra's first exploration took place at four months old with her father Philippe. She has grown up traveling the globe, feeding her passion for adventure and learning firsthand the value of conserving the natural world. When asked about the impact that her father and grandfather have had on her life, Alexandra explains, "the best example they gave me was the importance of living a life of consequence, value, and meaning. I honor their memories by creating a legacy of my own in speaking out for the preservation of our blue planet and all its waters."

Alexandra's most recent step in creating a legacy of her own came with the establishment of her own organization in 2008, Blue Legacy. The mission of Blue Legacy is to tell the story of our water planet to the world, to inspire people to take action on critical water issues in meaningful ways, and to help shape society's dialogue to include water as one of the defining issues of our century and the primary vehicle through which climate change will be felt.

In addition to Blue Legacy, Alexandra co-founded EarthEcho International with her brother Philippe in 2000. The non-profit organization is devoted to inspiring concern and commitment for the environment in today's youth. EarthEcho uses dynamic and interactive media platforms combined with compelling storytelling to empower people to take individual action for more sustainable lifestyles.

Our favorite ecotourism event in DC

One of the most beautiful times of the year in Washington, DC, spring brings a very exciting opportunity for TIES and our local friends to support and celebrate ecotourism.

TIES' Ecotourism Gala & Auction, held each year in the springtime in Washington, DC, is the largest annual fundraiser for TIES, and one of the favorite events for many of us.

Featuring 'best of the best' ecotourism and sustainable travel experiences - donated generously by our members from around the world - the silent and live auction at the Gala is a premier opportunity to learn about the latest ecotourism best practice examples from across the globe, and at the same time celebrate ecotourism by showing your support for TIES' initiatives benefiting communities, conservation and sustainable travel.

This year, in addition to our signature eco-holiday auction, the Ecotourism Gala and Auction will offer a chance to experience the exquisite cultural flavors of Scandinavia. We are proud to partner with the Embassy of Sweden, to host the event at the beautiful and sustainable House of Sweden, and the Swedish Ecotourism Society.

We are also excited, as we've recently announced, to showcase traditional Scandinavian music and dance at the event. Andrea Hoag, a Grammy-nominated fiddler and violinist, together with fellow fiddle players Göran Olsson and Sonja Benson, will perform live traditional Swedish music for the gala guests, and Linda Brooks and Ross Schipper of Scandia D.C. will perform traditional Scandinavian folk dance.

For more information about the event, to make a donation or to purchase a ticket online, or to sign up to receive regular updates on TIES' DC events, please visit the Gala website at: www.ecotourismgala.org.


PS - If you are interested in learning more about the making of this beautiful website, read this article on intentionally. blog.

ESTC 2008 Call for Speakers

The Speaker Application for the ESTC 2008 is now available online!

We encourage our members and friends from across the U.S. and Canada, and beyond, to submit an application to play an important role in the conference and to share various ecotourism and sustainable tourism experience and best practice examples.

For more information about the conference, and to sign up to receive regular updates from the ESTC 2008 team, please go to: www.ecotourismconference.org.

TIES Out & About

In addition to organizing conferences, workshops, forums and other events to disseminate up-to-date information on ecotourism and to provide professional development and networking opportunities, TIES also supports and participates in various ecotourism and related events around the world.

We are happy to share one example here, with a beautiful video by VirtualMalaysia.com that shows some highlights from the Tropical Rainforest Tourism Symposium 2007, held last year in Perak, Malaysia: http://youtube.com/watch?v=CQleVQ3yYB4

The four-day Symposium brought together six international speakers from Rwanda, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and the United States - including Mikael and Christina representing TIES . (Be sure to look for them in the video! - receiving the inaugural Ecotourism Awards and at TIES' booth in the World Eco-Tourism Expo, the exhibition held alongside the Symposium.)

As you can see, the Symposium delegates also had the opportunity to visit areas where ecotourism is developing in the state of Perak, including the Royal Bellum National Forest.

Enjoy the video, and check out our Events page to learn more about TIES' events and our participation in in various events to support ecotourism worldwide.

ESTC 2008

If there's one thing we've learned from our experience in the past years organizing conferences, it's that organizing a conference is a lot of work! Behind every successful conference is countless hours of hard work by a dedicated team. We have been fortunate to work with many sponsors, supporters and partners who have made our recent - and we're proud to say very successful - conferences possible (Read more about our recent and upcoming events).

And the best part of it all is that working together as a team to organize a conference is such a rewarding experience. It's the incredible feeling of achievement - of inspiring many people, helping build new friendships, and creating lasting memories - that keeps us going.

With that goal in mind, we've been busy planning yet another great conference this year. The ESTC 2008 is our third conference focusing on ecotourism and sustainable tourism in the U.S. and Canada, and is going to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from 27-29 October 2008.

Check out our special conference website - www.ecotourismconference.org - which already has some exciting news and announcements, mark your calendars, and stay tuned for more updates in the coming months!

TIES Team