Eco tourism importance highlighted at conference | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

Talks are under way to bring eco tourism courses to Waiariki Institute of Technology.

Chief executive Pim Borren and his Tai Poutini Polytechnic counterpart Paul Wilson announced at the Eco Tourism New Zealand conference at Waiariki yesterday that they were in discussions about how the Tai Poutini courses could be run through the Waiariki campus.

"Waiariki hopes we can piggy back on Tai Poutini's eco tourism work a bit," Borren said. "When we live here at the bottom of the world, with a small population and natural beauty, there are so many advantages around areas of conservation and eco tourism."

The polytechnic on the South Island's West Coast already runs both certificate and diploma courses in eco tourism and Wilson said it was keen to widen the programmes' audience.

"Something we are looking to do is to get more people into eco tourism by running the certificate programme from Waiariki and then have the diploma set up in time for those students should they decide to continue."

The ETNZ conference was officially opened by Rotorua MP Todd McClay yesterday and is co-hosted by the two institutes at the Waiariki campus. This is the first time it has been held in the North Island and McClay said organisers made a good choice in coming to Rotorua this year.

"I looked up a definition of eco tourism - nature-based tourism that is sustainable, involves the community and cares for the environment - everything we are about." Local operators and the Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter are among the speakers and workshop hosts during the two-day conference, highlighting exactly what they are about and sharing their experiences with delegates from around the country.

McClay outlined the Government support already provided to the tourism industry and spoke about plans for Rotorua's proposed contribution to the national cycle way - a project to create jobs and attract more eco tourists to this country.

"It is called Thermal By Bike and will go through our geothermal areas. I am very hopeful we will get the tick in the next month or two. It will show people from all over the world some of the most beautiful parts of this region."

Keynote speaker Robert Swan talked about his international exploits - walking to both the South and North Poles and sailing around the world in his renewable energy yacht 2014 spreading sustainability, environmental and social messages and undertaking projects.

He issued a challenge to operators at the conference to make New Zealand a world leader in renewable energy.

"New Zealand could be the first country in the world to become carbon neutral - you are already using 80 per cent renewable energy."

Swan used his own experiences of cleaning up rubbish in Antarctica and educating young Africans about AIDS as examples of how individuals can make a difference.

"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it."