For Immediate Release

July 13, 2007

Washington, DC

World Tourism Day will be celebrated in Madison, WI during the North American Ecotourism conference 2007

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) invites our members, partners and all interested in ecotourism to join us in Madison, Wisconsin this September for the North American Ecotourism Conference 2007 (NAEC2007).

NAEC2007, to be held at the Monona Terrace Convention Center from September 26th-28th 2007, is TIES’ second conference focused on ecotourism in North America, following the 2005 Ecotourism in the U.S. Conference in Bar Harbor, Maine. The upcoming conference in Madison will build from the discussions of the 2005 conference, tie in examples and lessons from the Canadian ecotourism movement, and provide the opportunity for collaboration among tourism professionals.

Chair of TIES’ Board, Kelly Bricker, expressed, “We hope to bring together the private sector, Indigenous communities, government, NGO’s, educational institutions, and national tourism organizations to address complex issues related to sustainable tourism and ecotourism in North American, and how these various groups can work collaboratively in accomplishing sustainable tourism in North America.”

The sessions at NAEC2007 address a wide range of topics and issues. Organized under the four main themes of: 1. Policies and Current Issues; 2. Communities; 3. Greening Tourism; and 4. The How-to of Ecotourism – the sessions offer advanced knowledge, as well as practical tools and resources that the delegates can apply to their respective fields.

David Sollitt, TIES Executive Director, notes, “Bringing together ecotourism experts and practitioners, this conference provides a unique opportunity to celebrate World Tourism Day on September 27,” says Sollitt. “We encourage all interested in attending NAEC2007 to register early to secure their presence at this important event.” Registration for NAEC2007 is now available at the conference website (www.ecotourismconference.org).

NAEC2007 also highlights Travel Green Wisconsin as the first state-wide green certification program and honors the State of Wisconsin and the city of Madison’s exemplary ecotourism practices.

Pre-conference activities will include a free introductory seminar open to the public and conference participants who are new to ecotourism. The seminar will explain the tenants and terminology of ecotourism and provide the framework necessary for understanding conference topics. The conference attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in various post-conference tours organized by local ecotourism companies.