ESTC North America
Ecotourism Conference Tampa Fl
January 25th – 27th, 2016, at the University of South Florida Patel Center for Global Solutions
The theme for this years conference is Transforming Our World Through Sustainable Solutions. At the ESCT North America Conference, you'll interact with celebrated ecotourism and sustainable tourism leaders, policy makers, educators, innovators and change-agents. Learn best sustainable tourism practices, critical knowledge, and develop winning partnerships to prepare your own company, organization, or community for a world where people, can live and safely and justly within the limits of our planetary boundaries. This will be the first major Sustainable Tourism Conference following the adoption of the United Nations Sustainability Goals & the outcomes of COP 21 Climate Change negotiations in Paris, France.
The conference is brought to you by the International Ecotourism Society and hosted by the USF Patel College of Global Sustainability. Register to be part of this historical event.
ESTC North America Ecotourism Society Conference
Monday, Jan 25, 2016, 08:00 AM
Patel College of Global Sustainability, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, CGS204, Tampa, FL
ESTC NA Program
The program, Transforming Our World Through Sustainable Tourism Solutions is designed to include both cognitive and experiential learning. It is highlighted by 5 dynamic keynote and plenary speakers who will bring knowledge and experience from successful programs they have participated in all over the world.
The first day Dr. Randle and Sarbuland Kahn will provide a context for Sustainable Tourism as it responds to the new U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, the new COP 21 agreement from Paris, and the challenges of tourism to operate safely within the planetary boundaries.
Sessions will follow through the morning with the themes of engaging multi-stakeholders, case studies addressing the new SDG’s, sustaining eco-systems, sustaining places, and capacity building, The afternoon will begin with a session with Dr. Anne Savage, Conservation Director for Disney’s Animal, Science, and Environment team who will share insights and wisdom from a variety of experiences ranging from saving the cotton top monkeys ind Columbia, to elephants in Africa, to sea turtles in Florida.
The afternoon sessions will follow with themes of engaging multi-stakeholders international, frameworks for sustainable tourism, sustaining ecosystems, case studies in ecotourism and indigenous people, sustainable foods, and capacity building. The day will conclude with a dinner / reception at Busch Gardens where participants will be treated to a “Taste of Tampa” and an evening opportunity for relaxation, and networking.
The second day of the conference is dedicated to excursions. Participants will have a variety of choices including a trip to the historic greek fishing village of Tarpon Springs, a trip to Tampa Bay Watch and Fort De Soto State Park (previously rated #1 beach in America) a trip to the Disney Wilderness Preserve at the headwaters of the everglades, which is a global model for wetlands restoration, or Anna Maria Island and the Greenest little main street in America along with a sustainable lunch and time to enjoy the beaches.
The Third day of the conference will begin with insights on Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism from Dr. Kelly Bricker, President of TIES, founding chair of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, professor at the University of Utah, and a tour operator in Fiji.
Morning session will include themes of engaging multi-stakeholders international, the value of tourism, social cultural impacts of tourism, sustainable tourism case studies, women’s empowerment, and community engagement, The afternoon will begin with a presentation by renowned National Geographic Explorer Dr. T. H. Culhane who will share his work and research in developing countries from around the world. Afternoon sessions will include themes of sustaining communities, cultural impacts of tourism, systems and sustainability, global initiatives in sustainable tourism, and communicating sustainability.
The conference will conclude with a celebration and sustainable meal provided by the award winning Chiles Restaurant Group that partners with local fishermen, organic and hydroponic farmers, and programs to turn invasive species into nutritious good tasking food. Come join us in making a difference in transforming our world and learning of sustainable tourism solutions you can apply in your own local setting.
Dr. Kelly Bricker
Richard Jordan
Dr. Blair Witherington
Dr. David Randle
Dr. Thomas Henry Culhane
All Guest Speakers
ESTC North America
Email: info@ecotourism.org
Website: http://pcgs.estcna.com/
Location: Patel College of Global Sustainability
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ecotravelpage
Twitter: @ecotravel