Green Globe conference delegates make declaration

Media release – March 5, 2004

Appeal to recognise sustainable development – International Green Globe conference delegates make declaration

A declaration binding people, communities, business and governments to sustainable development was made at the first international Green Globe conference in Kaikoura today.

The conference ended with more than 130 delegates confirming the Kaikoura Green Globe Conference 2004 Declaration.

Convenor David Simmons said the inaugural conference had blazed a new trail forward in the history of sustainable tourism in New Zealand.

``We are asking businesses to adopt more sustainable practices and we would like to see communities integrate across all sectors to plan for a sustainable future,’’ said Dr Simmons, who is Lincoln University’s tourism professor.

Mostly importantly the Kaikoura Declaration asks governments to back and reward initiatives adopted by individuals, communities and the tourism industry, ``to achieve sustainable development’’.

The declaration will be distributed to communities, businesses, the World Tourism Organisation, distributed to communities, businesses, world tourism organisation, Pacific Asia Travel Association and governments of participating delegates.

The second international Green Globe conference will be held in the Caribbean in 2006. Kaikoura will host the next New Zealand Green Globe conference in early 2006.

Kaikoura District Council environmental manager Ian Challenger said Kaikoura was keen to host the first national conference because of its status as the only Green Globe community in New Zealand.

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Kaikoura Green Globe Conference Declaration March 5, 2004

We the delegates of the first Green Globe 21 sustainable tourism conference in Kaikoura in March 2004 recognise sustainable development as:

meeting the needs of present generations without compromising the needs of future generations. This requires each of us to think globally, act locally and commit personally.

In charting the path forward for the tourism sector we call upon:

* Individuals to make a personal commitment to examine their daily living, and recreation and travel choices

* Businesses, while they aim for financial profit, to also adopt more sustainable practices to enhance their environmental, social and cultural outcomes

* Communities to develop a long term vision, integration across sectors and implement plans to achieve healthy and successful livelihoods and lifestyles

* Governments to back and reward initiatives adopted by individuals, communities and the tourism industry to achieve sustainable development

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