Second Workshop of the Series: Islands (2008)

In November 2008, the SCBD held the second workshop of the series on new information and web-based technology in partnership with the Secretariat for the Pacific Region Environment Programme (SPREP) and the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute (NZTRI) of Auckland University of Technology. The workshop took place in Samoa and brought together 22 indigenous tourism operators or owners from 11 islands of the Pacific region. Participants in the workshop used web-based tools to more effectively communicating the biodiversity concepts of their biodiversity-friendly tourism products.

The main objectives of the workshop were:

• To support the development and management of biodiversity-friendly tourism activities;
• To support new information and web-based technology capacity of indigenous tourism operators;
• To support the marketing of culturally and biologically sustainable aspects of indigenous tourism products via Internet;
• Network and exchange information; share and compile approaches to specific challenges in order to develop best practices;
• Use successful tools from the Arctic region workshop and refine them for application by current participants and future workshops.

Participation:

Participants were selected according to the following criteria:

• Participants are from the Pacific Region.
• Participants are indigenous leaders in tourism as entrepreneurs, policymakers or advisors, and active in existing and functioning associations of indigenous people and tourism operators;
• The tourism products they manage include areas with significant biodiversity (parks, community or private protected areas);
• Participants, or their constituents or representatives, should have access to internet and worldwide web-based tools for information, marketing, and networking purposes; and
• Participants should have links to existing and functioning associations of indigenous people and tourism operators;
• Participants should have the ability to replicate the methodologies and results of the workshop within existing networks and their home region post-workshop.

The workshop in the news: Tourism in the South Pacific, They're talking biodiversity at Vailima, Tourism key to enhancing biodiversity and on RNZ International

The final report is now available at : http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=WSTOURIDG-02.

For more information and to view the workshop content please visit the workshop web site located at NZTRI, Auckland University.