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International: British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
2002: Deadline
July 1st 2002: Organisations and projects in the tourism
industry which exhibit environmentally and socially responsible behaviour can
apply for the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow 2002 Awards in one of the
following categories: National Parks and
Protected Areas, Built Environment, Accommodation, Environmental Experience,
Large-scale Tourism, Tourism Organisation. Award Judges
are looking for "projects which benefit the local community, protect the
natural and cultural heritage, control energy and water use, educate local
people and visitors, and contribute towards a better life for future
generations." Previous winners include
Chumbe Island Coral Park in Tanzania, where our Expert Member, Ms
Sybille Riedmiller is Project Director. Details and Entry form at The BEST organisation has prepared an
interesting report on sustainable tourism in preparation for the World Summit on
Sustainable Develipment in Johannesburg this August. Copies of the full report can be accessed
at The United Nations has just launched an online
atlas of the oceans on Wednesday aimed at pooling knowledge about the marine environment
and halting damage being done by overfishing and pollution, details at Africa & M.East Tourism may be endangering wildlife by spreading human diseases to animals and is probably responsible for three outbreaks of tuberculosis in mongooses and meerkats in Africa, according to a study, Reuters reported. The Guardian reported that "Western conservation organisations are employing experienced gunmen to hunt down elephant poachers, amid fears of a massive resurgence in ivory poaching across east and central Africa". An anti-poaching unit led by a former South African army officer and funded by two foreign conservation groups recently attacked two gangs of poachers in the Central African Republic (CAR), killing one man. If this is true, it is totally unacceptable as criminal behaviour by remote control. Asia & Pacific China has seen a 10.1 percent growth in arrivals for the first Quarter of 002. Growth was particularly strong from South Korea, Russia, the USA and Japan, according to PATA. Organising traditional wedding ceremonies for tourists has become a new tool for Asian destinations such as the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand according to PATA. Japan and a Caribbean Bloc voted to block whale meat quota for Indigenous Peoples of Alaska and Siberia, at the International Whaling Commission annual meeting, probably as a reaction to not being allowed to engage in commercial whaling. In Hong Kong the Tourism Board comes under fire by environmentalists for listing shark's fin on its Website as a "taste to enjoy for every season". On the other hand, the principles of sustainable development have been adopted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government in all its policy initiatives, stated HKSAR Commissioner for Tourism Rebecca Lai at the "Eco-Tourism Business Opportunities 2002 Conference" , June 5. Russian Minister for Natural Disasters Sergei Shoigu said that wildfires in the far east of his country had reached "a critical point," with some 236 active fires in the territory having already burned through more than 98,000 hectares. Travelers and tourists have been barred from entering nearby forests, according to Developmentex.com India: The first Indian Environment Congress (IEC 2002) was held at Palakkad, Kerala, India on 5th and 6th of June 2002. The IEC 2002 is registered as a society under the Indian Societies Registration Act of 1860. The main objective of this society is to organize the Indian Environment Congress in India, at National Level and Environment Congress at state and district level every year with the cooperation of organizations interested in the same. The organizing committee for the IEC 2002 has been formed with the active involvement of the Palghat Local Centre of the Institution of Engineers (India), Environment Council of India and the Department of Civil Engineering of the N.S.S. College of Engineering. More details at http://www.geocities.com/iec2k2 New Zealand: Comments are invited on NZealand draft Conservation with Communities Strategy http://www.doc.govt.nz/Whats-New/Consulting-On/Conservation-with-Communities-Draft-Strategy/index.asp Indonesia: The Indonesian government is considering leasing a number of small islands to individual and corporate investors for resort development in a bid to boost tourism according to the Jakarta Post. Thailand: Construction of a research station and other facilities in the Huay Kha Khaeng wildlife sanctuary would harm the fragile ecosystem of the World Heritage Site according to environmentalists. Barbados: Seven countries in the region recently joined together for the Pilot Phase of the new regional beach certification programme named Blue Flag Caribbean, officially launched at a workshop held in the Dominican Republic, organised by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and other bodies. Germany: Germany's parliament votes to give animals constitutional rights, in a rare development worldwide. UK: No-frills airline EasyJet buys rival Go from British Airways and becomes largest of its kind in Europe. British Evironment Minister launches a new bid to clear London's famous canals, by using volunteers. 10 million people visit canals in Britain every year. Greece: On world environment day, the Minister of the Environment announces a 10 point plan to save greek "protected" areas after decades of neglect, measures will include the creation of management agencies for 24 wetlands and the creation of a news state fund for protected areas. Critics say they have heard it all before, on world environment day 2001. Mexico: Mexico's President Vicente Fox presented Ron Mader, director of the Planeta.com website, the prestigious "Lente de Plata" (Silver Lens) Award for Planeta.com's coverage of Mexican tourism. The award was presented at the closing ceremony of the 2002 Tianguis Turistico, held each year in the Pacific Coast state of Guerrero. Mader received the award before in 1999 when Planeta.com received the first "Lente de Plata" given for an Internet website. Mr. Ron Mader was the first interviewee ever for the ECOCLUB Interview, in February 2002. Cuba: Businesses in the resort city of Varadero began accepting euros in a bid to attract European tourists. Developmentex.com Florida tourism rebounded in the first quarter of this year after a dismal end to 2001, with 18 million visitors in the first quarter, just 4.5 % down from year-ago numbers. Copyright © 1999-2002 ECOCLUB
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