Eco-tourism
Getting the balance right between eco and tourism

19 October 2012
Casellas Function Centre, Bunbury
Francisco Dousdebés
Commercial Manager CA-AU-NZ, Metropolitan Touring Ecuador, Galapago Marine Reserve
Francisco Dousdebés
In 2000 Francisco Dousdebés was given the responsibility of leading the Galapagos Expedition Department of Ecuador’s largest tour operator, Metropolitan Touring, where he was in charge of developing the expedition philosophy, managing Naturalist Guides and training the sales staff of his company and clients all over the Americas. For many years, Francisco led the Environmental Affairs Department of Ecuador’s Metropolitan Touring and designed sustainable strategies that allowed minimizing the environmental footprint of tour operations, as well as corporate development. In 2009, he was a finalist in the Heart of Green Awards because of his environmental leadership. Attending international trade shows, fairs, and seminars has allowed him to understand the industry even further, as he represents his country in international forums with Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism. He also lectures on natural history of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, and focuses on natural selection, evolution, and sustainable tourism. Travelling has become a passion for him, and when free time lands on his hands, he is likely to have already arrived at his next destination. Currently, Francisco is the Commercial Manager for three key markets in Ecuador’s inbound tourism: Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, and loves to promote the beauty of South America worldwide.

Eco-tourism – thinking beyond eco and acting beyond tourism
Kate Sprogis
PhD student, Murdoch University
Kate Sprogis
Kate Sprogis is a Murdoch University PhD candidate, undertaking her research on predictive habitat modelling and population dynamics of the bottlenose dolphins around Bunbury. Kate’s research through Murdoch University is supported by the South West Marine Research Programs funding partners. She is one and half years into her project where she conducts year round boat-based dolphin photo identification surveys from Busselton to Binningup, extending 10km offshore. Kate and her assistants have completed five seasons of fieldwork (>550 hours on the water) and encountered over 280 dolphin groups. Kate has been documenting dolphin movements, behaviours, calving rates, deaths and mapping the benthic habitat. Kate aims to complete three more field seasons before writing her thesis in mid 2013.

Research as a basis for ecotourism and environmental decision making
Phil Coulthard
Operations Manager, Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre
Phil Coulthard
Phil Coulthard conducts and coordinates a range of operations directed at 4 major objectives: Conservation, Education, Research and Tourism. He was to winner of the 2008 FACET Golden Guide Award. Phil obtained a Marine Biology Degree with James Cook University in North Queensland and completed his honours thesis in Bunbury studying the population dynamics of the Koombana Bay dolphins. His passion is to promote professional tour guiding, where the development of minimal impact and world’s best practice procedures are core attributes to the product. Phil believes the role of education is critical for environmental sustainability and that the tourism sector can play a significant role – not only in promoting the beauty and fragility of Western Australia, but also promoting change in the behaviours of the community to ensure its survival.

Research as a basis for ecotourism and environmental decision making
Oliver Manlik
PhD candidate, University of New South Wales
Oliver Manlik
Oliver Manlik is a PhD candidate at the University of New South Wales. His current research is on the demography, population viability and genetics of the Bunbury and Shark Bay dolphin populations, with the goal to guide wildlife management. The first part of his project was to forecast and compare the viability of the two dolphin populations, and to identify vital rates that are particularly important for population viability. The second goal of his research is to identify immune system genes that may be important for reproductive success and survival of the dolphins. Essentially his research is looking for genes that matter for the conservation of dolphins and other vertebrate populations.

Research as a basis for ecotourism and environmental decision making
Mike Burgess
Department of Fisheries

Geographe Bay artificial reefs – An innovative strategy to create new, accessible and safe fishing locations for recreational fishers
Allan Birrell
Executive Officer, Munda Biddi Trail Foundation
Allan Birrell
Allan Birrell has a good understanding of the business community in the South West of Western Australia after serving eight years as CEO of the Bunbury Chamber of Commerce and industries from 2002 to 2010. Following his time with the Chamber he started importing and distributing electric bicycles around Australia, a business activity he still operates. These experiences have led to his current role with the Munda Biddi Trail Foundation, an organisation charged with a role to promote and develop cycle tourism opportunities that will flow from the completion of the Munda Biddi trail in early 2013. Once completed the Munda Biddi trail will represent the longest purpose built off road cycling trail in the world – running from Mundaring through the South west and great Southern regions to Albany the Munda Biddi Trail will be over 1000 km in length. This iconic nature based cycle trail will be the catalyst for a significant growth in cycle tourism for the State and in particular tourism based industry in the Southern areas of WA.

Munda Biddi Trail: Cycle tourism – they're coming, are you ready?
Paolo Amaranti
CEO, Rottnest Island Authority
Paolo Amaranti 
Paolo Amaranti has 25 years experience in strategic management with particular expertise in organisational reform. He held a number of senior executive roles within the Department of Commerce and Trade and Tourism Western Australia from the early 1990s through the end of 2004. Prior to his career with the Western Australia public sector, Mr Amaranti was employed by Price Waterhouse Coopers. In 2004 following Mr Amaranti’s appointment to the Rottnest Island Taskforce, he was appointed CEO for the Rottnest Island Authority.

2.5 million people know how to do it better
Gary Muir
Manager, Wild over Walpole Wilderness EcoProjects
Gary Muir
Gary Muir has been manager of WOW Wilderness for nearly two decades, a leading ecotourism enterprise based in Walpole. WOW Wilderness EcoCruises are nationally recognised for their entertaining and awareness raising boat cruises, especially with Gary’s enthusiastic interpretation! Yet WOW is much more than just the EcoCruises. Ecotourism requires sustainable environmental practices and an active contribution to the local community. WOW goes beyond this, setting a new standard for ecotourism. Gary uses the cruises as a support base and has built his WOW team to integrate related projects involving community, industry, government and academia working together. WOW contributes time, energy and with the team’s combined experience to facilitate many innovative and important projects based on three core areas using ECO as a symbolic acronym: Environment, Community, and O representing global projects. Gary’s presentation will explain WOW’s big picture, what makes the EcoCruises work and some of the more interesting EcoProjects.
Scott Robinson
Director, Jack in the Box
Scott Robinson
Scott Robinson is leading the company through new stages of innovation. With seventeen years of experience he is regarded as one of the most creative thinkers, especially in the field of technology. He has patiently mastered the disciplines of marketing and believes in the progressive process of leading the way rather than following. His technological capabilities give him a clear advantage, enabling the research division of Jack in the box to operate utilising state of the art software, not content with depending on existing software he has set about creating concepts which are ahead of their time.. He possesses an uncanny understanding of computers relevant to specific projects and is especially adept at creating solutions to complex data requirements. His facilitation of workshops, especially on-line courses developed to equip small business with the 'know how' in internet marketing, is in high demand and he is regularly rewarded with Government business in recognition of his abilities. Skilled in the art of graphic design, technical print, television direction and production, photography and web design - both graphic and technical, Scott has a natural ability in strategic social networking.

Getting engaged – The uncanny resemblance between social media and marriage
Newton Moore Senior High School, Marine Managers Program
Newton Moore SHS has had an established partnership of over 10 years with the Bunbury Dolphin Centre. Since 2008 we have together formalised our partnership through the Marine Managers Program. The Marine Managers Program provides a challenging, ongoing real life experience working in the field with a scientist for the gifted and talented student. Students are involved in up to five research boat trips each year into Koombana Bay to study and monitor the Bottlenose Dolphins, and into the adjoining inlet to study the southern most stand of white mangroves. The Marine Managers Program is integrated into the science specialist classes 'Science Horizons' as part of the Year 8 and Year 9 curriculum topics covering vertebrates, invertebrates, classification and ecosystems. Students photograph the Dolphin's dorsal fin to identify the dolphins and observe the behaviours, alliance groups of males, and female groups. This data is analysed back in the classroom, producing an ongoing database of the number of dolphins and their activities within the bay.

The Marine Managers Program and a student's perspective