Contact: Inez Freund
IConnect Public Relations
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Adventure Council Sponsors 1st National Conference on Ecotourism in the U.S.

Bar Harbor, ME, June 20, 2005 – The Adventure Council joins L.L. Bean and National Geographic ADVENTURE magazine as a major sponsor of the first National Conference on Ecotourism in the U.S. The conference, to be officially opened by the Governor of Maine, John Baldacci, is organized by the International Ecotourism Society and the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. It will be held on September 14-16, 2005 in Bar Harbor, Maine.

“This will be the first ever national gathering of leaders, practitioners and experts in the field of nature and adventure travel to discuss the current status of ecotourism in the US, including an action plan to promote the US as a responsible tourism destination,” says Costas Christ, President of the Adventure Council and CEO of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. “We are delighted that Adventure Council charter members, including National Geographic ADVENTURE magazine and Adventures in Travel Expo, are joining us in supporting this important conference.”

Internationally renowned marine biologist Sylvia Earle, named one of TIME Magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet” and Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, will give the keynote address. There will be a variety of enterprises represented at the conference, including, adventure travel outfitters, ecotourism operators, eco-lodges, organic farms, agri-tourism businesses, sustainable resorts and hotels and those wanting to learn more about the fast growing ecotourism industry in America. Delegations from as far away as Hawaii and Alaska will attend, along with representatives from state tourism offices, Native American groups, park officials, Chambers of Commerce, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and the media.

“Americans are among the world’s most avid ecotourists, but in the past they have generally traveled overseas for their eco-holidays. In recent years, however, there has been a growing number of Americans taking ecotourism trips in the continental U.S. This coincides with a number of important ecotourism initiatives in places like Maine, West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont and elsewhere. The United States needs to engage in a national level of discussion on the future of ecotourism and what it means for the tourism industry of our country,” says Martha Honey, Executive Director of The International Ecotourism Society.

The conference will include a combination of speeches and workshops on marketing ecotourism, eco-labels and certification, travelers’ philanthropy, ecotourism and protected lands, adventure travel, heritage and cultural tourism, among others.

The Adventure Council’s mission is to actively promote and grow adventure travel that is responsible and sustainable and in so doing, help to protect the character, authenticity and diversity of adventure destinations worldwide.

For more information on the Adventure Council visit www.adventurecouncil.com. To learn more about the conference go to www.ecotourism.org.