Ecotourism in the North -- a natural evolution. (FedNor).Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is the part of the province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron (including Georgian Bay), the French River and Lake Nipissing. Northern Ontario has a land area of 802,000 km² (310,000 mi²) and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it has what it takes to become a world-class ecotourism e·co·tour·ism n. Tourism involving travel to areas of natural or ecological interest, typically under the guidance of a naturalist, for the purpose of observing wildlife and learning about the environment. destination. That was the consensus of delegates to the Eco-North 2002 Eco-Nord Conference and Trade Show held in Sudbury earlier this year. Hosted by the City of Greater Sudbury Greater Sudbury (2006 census population 157,857) is a city in Northern Ontario, Canada. Greater Sudbury was created in 2001 by amalgamating the cities and towns of the former Regional Municipality of Sudbury, along with several previously unincorporated geographic townships. and supported by FedNor, the conference was attended by 350 participants. The trade show, featuring 40 exhibits, attracted more than 1500 people over two days. The international roster of guest speakers included Jim Watson
Jim Watson is a politician in Ontario, Canada. , CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of the Canadian Tourism Commission The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) was created in 1995 to promote Canadian tourism in order to capitalize on a major international industry. The CTC states that it "is dedicated to promoting the growth and profitability of the Canadian tourism industry by marketing Canada as a , travel expert Marybeth Bond of Tiburon, California Tiburon is an affluent incorporated town in Marin County, California. It occupies most of the Tiburon Peninsula, which reaches south into the San Francisco Bay. The smaller city of Belvedere (formerly a separate island) occupies the south-east part of the peninsula and is (CBS/Evening Magazine), and world explorers Gary and Joanie McGuffin of Goulais River north of Sault Ste. Marie Sault Sainte Marie — pronounced "Soo Saint Marie" (IPA /su seɪnt məˈɹi/) — is the name of two cities on the Saint Marys River, which forms part of the boundary between the United States and Canada. . Matthew Owl, Tourism Coordinator for the Waubetek Business Development Corporation -- an organization serving 27 First Nation communities from across northeastern Ontario -- wore two hats at the Eco-North Conference. He also operates Trails of the Eagle Clan tours out of the Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation, offering eco-adventurers from around the world guided interpretive tours of his ancestors' travel routes. Owl believes that by returning to their roots, ecotourists are safeguarding the future of their children. "Ecotourism experiences help educate people about the importance of maintaining a healthy environment, ensuring future generations have the opportunity to experience the magic of sitting around a campfire listening to the language of the land," he says. While the aim of ecotourism operators is to provide a natural adventure, the potential multi-million dollar impact of a successful Northern Ontario ecotourism industry was not lost on the participants of a pre-conference tourism dialogue, hosted by Secretary of State Andy Mitchell. Participants in the discussion felt that the North needs assistance in acquiring the practical tools for tourism development. The group identified issues such as evaluating and expanding on community assets, building consensus for tourism development, and planning and marketing. As a result, FedNor is currently developing an action plan. Building on the success of the Eco-North Conference, FedNor North Central Manager, Tom Dodds, led a seven-person delegation to the World Ecotourism Summit in Quebec City, May 19-22, 2002. Doug Reynolds, Executive Director of the Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association, says the summit in Quebec confirmed that the challenges of developing ecotourism are similar around the world. "The basic issues facing outdoor nature tourism are fundamentally the same worldwide," he says. "The Quebec [City] summit really highlighted that we should ensure these tourism operations create good quality social and economic benefits in local communities." |
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