[Fwd: [CAST] Center for Environmental Leadership in Business Punta Cana Conference]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [CAST] Center for Environmental Leadership in Business Punta
Cana Conference
Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2003 19:39:10 -0000
From: "Scott Wayne" <scottwayne@yahoo.com>
To: sustainable-tourism@yahoogroups.com

Dear Colleagues:
Below is a conference that may be of interest to some of you.

Cheers!
Scott Wayne
Principal
SW Associates
Washington, DC
tel 202-463-7394
fax 202-463-7393
scottwayne@compuserve.com

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Can Tourism and Conservation Co-Exist in the
Caribbean?
The Center for Environmental Leadership in Business
Convene Tourism Industry Leaders to Devise Caribbean
Conservation Action Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C./PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC In a
first of its kind chief executives meeting, the
Center for Environmental Leadership in Business
(CELB), a division of Conservation International, is
convening key decision-makers who are influencing
Caribbean tourism development. Balancing business
interests with regional conservation will be the focus
of Making Biodiversity Work For Your Travel Business:
Increasing Profitability While Protecting the
Environment, taking place April 24-26, 2003 at the
Punta Cana Club and Resort in the Dominican Republic.

Tourism industry leaders will join government
officials, conservation organizations, scientists and
local representatives to find solutions for the
greatest threats facing the Caribbean tourism industry
and economy: environmental degradation and species
loss. Keynote speakers include: Captain William S.
Wright, Sr. Vice President, Royal Caribbean Cruises
Ltd., Hon. Gordon 'Butch' Stewart, Chairman, Sandals
Resorts and Air Jamaica, Dr. Jeffrey Sachs and Dr.
Thomas Lovejoy, world-renowned experts in
environmental economics, and Dr. Sylvia Earle, leading
international expert in marine science and
conservation.

Tourism can be both a cause of environmental damage
as well as a positive force for conservation, said
Jamie Sweeting, Director of Travel and Leisure for
CELB. ?This event will bring business leaders and
conservation experts together to find creative,
business-minded solutions to the environmental
problems facing the Caribbean.

Regional stakeholders will collaborate on a variety of
pressing issues including: protecting the tourism
industry from the financial risk associated with
environmental degradation; identifying opportunities
to protect and profit from the unique ecosystem;
creating business value through environmental
stewardship; and analyzing case-studies of
environmental practices that have optimized
investments.

The tourism industry today faces many challenges,
including increasing competition, raising operational
costs and increasing customer expectations, said
Frank Rainieri, Founder and President, Punta Cana
Resort and Club. ?Business leaders who do not
recognize that an aggressive environmental
conservation program can help them address all of
these obstacles will not be successful in this
changing market.?

Co-conveners include the Center for Applied
Biodiversity Science at Conservation International
(CABS), the Center for Environmental Research and
Conservation (CERC), the Punta Cana Ecological
Foundation and the Punta Cana Resort and Club.

Tourism is a particularly important industry in
several of the global biodiversity hotspots, such as
the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Large-scale
tourism involves major infrastructure development,
increased demands for water, energy and waste
disposal, and an influx of people, ideas, and
cultures. The tourism industry has perhaps the
strongest incentive to conserve biodiversity, as the
future of its business depends on protecting the
natural beauty and cultural richness of destinations.

One of the most geographically complex regions of the
world, the Caribbean is a biodiversity hotspot. The
Earth's 25 biodiversity hotspots combined make up just
1.4 percent of the planet?s surface, yet harbor over
60 percent of all plant and animal diversity, and are
under increasing threats. The Caribbean Basin has
some of the greatest concentrations species found
nowhere else on Earth. The Caribbean Sea is home to
over 1,550 species of corals and fishes, a quarter of
which can be found only in the Caribbean. The region's
biodiversity and natural beauty attract millions of
visitors a year.

The popularity of this destination, however, has not
come without cost. Invasive species have led to the
extinction of a number of native plants and animals;
more than 60 percent of coral reefs in the region are
under threats ranging from fishing and coral
harvesting to water quality degradation; and the last
remaining pristine lands on these islands are being
lost to new resorts and golf courses. Without
collaboration to balance consumer demand with
environmental protection, much of this unique
biodiversity will be lost forever.

Industry executives recognize that they can no longer
disregard the importance of biodiversity protection
and how it affects the quality of their products. By
attending this event, leadership companies in the
travel and leisure industry are demonstrating the
importance of reducing biodiversity loss and turning
conservation into a source of competitive advantage.

Jason W. Anderson
Media Manager
Center for Environmental Leadership in Business
at Conservation International
D (202) 912.1464
F (202) 912.1048
j.anderson@celb.org

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Received on Tue Apr 8 21:55:46 2003