{"id":622,"date":"2007-10-08T06:37:05","date_gmt":"2007-10-08T06:37:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.borneoecotours.com\/blog\/?p=622"},"modified":"2023-12-24T23:43:02","modified_gmt":"2023-12-24T15:43:02","slug":"wttc-appoints-albert-teo-as-judge-for-global-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.borneoecotours.com\/blog\/wttc-appoints-albert-teo-as-judge-for-global-award\/","title":{"rendered":"WTTC Appoints Albert Teo as Judge for Global Award,"},"content":{"rendered":"

Albert Teo, Managing Director of Borneo Eco Tours visited the South Pacific island nation of Fiji recently as a member of the Finalists Selection committee for the Conservation Category of the global tourism award, Tourism for Tomorrow Award 2007 by World Tourism and Travel Council WTTC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\"Albert,
Albert, Maryanne, Mrs. Bernadette Rounds Ganilau<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
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\"Brandon,Maryanne,
Brandon,Maryanne, Albert and Thomas<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is a membership organization representing the leaders of the global Travel & Tourism Industry, working with Governments to raise awareness of one of the world’s most important contributors to the economy and employment. In October 2003, WTTC issued a new vision and strategy for the successful and sustainable development of the industry, ensuring that Travel & Tourism works for everyone. The Blueprint for New Tourism sets out guiding principles and calls for greater public private synergy, towards delivering consistent results that match the needs of economies, local and regional authorities and local communities with those of business. The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards will reward and promote industry and government initiatives that realize the vision set out in The Blueprint for New Tourism.<\/p>\n

Albert was invited to represent the twelve member international selection committee to visit Fiji which comprises of some 300 islands to do a site evaluation for one of the three finalists for Conservation Category, Aqua-Trek, a dive operator specializing in sustainable tourism development through its shark conservation program involving the local community and the Ministry of Fisheries. A total of sixty applicants from forty countries submitted for the conservation category and three winners were selected which was then visited by a member of the panel to determine the main winner for the category. The winners of all four categories will be announced by WTTC in the Global Tourism Summit in Lisbon, Portugal in May 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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\"With
With Director of Fisheries, Mr. Saimone Tuilaucala<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
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\"With
With village chief<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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\"Bull
Bull shark eating<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
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\"Divers
Divers with silvertip<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

At a time when the global shark population is in dramatic decline due to unsustainable practices such \u201cshark finning\u201d by commercial vessels and in a country where shark fishing remains popular, Aqua-Trek’s Fiji Shark Conservation and Sustainable Tourism Programme has been successful in educating both tourists and the local Fijian people on the benefits of protecting the shark population. This successful initiative to preserve the Fiji shark population through sustainable tourism practices has resulted in increased shark populations on the reef and demonstrates best practice in collaboration between local communities and an international dive operator in the conservation of a threatened marine species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\"Feeding
Feeding the fish<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n
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\"Staff
Staff of Aqua-Trek<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The coral reef where the shark feeding took place is part of the local managed marine area approved by Ministry of Fisheries with the support of the local community who has customary right over the reef and Aquatrek who pays a levy direct to the community for every tourist who dive in the dive site. Aquatrek has over the last 7 years rehabilitated the dive site which is today known as the shark diving capital of the world with a total of eight shark species. Since shark diving program started in 1999, there has been no accident involving the tourists.<\/p>\n

Other than visiting the dive site and meeting with the local Fijian community who has customary rights over the coral reefs stretching over 2 km of the reef adjoining the village, Albert interviewed the Director of Fisheries, Saimone Tuilaucala who elaborated that out of 410 reefs with customary rights in Fiji, 100 sites have been surveyed and 50 marine protected areas have been formalised. Dive wardens from the local communities has been sent for training by the Ministry of Fisheries to help them monitor and protect the reef from illegal fishing.<\/p>\n

\"Meeting
Meeting with community leader<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Albert paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Tourism, Environment, and Labour, Mrs Bernadette Rounds Ganilau. and was also interviewed by TV Fiji. Albert Teo is Managing Director of Borneo Eco Tours and Sukau Rainforest Lodge, a past winner of the best ecolodge category for Tourism for Tommorrow award for the Pacific Region in 1997. WTTC Tourism for Tommorrow award is a global tourism award for best practices in sustainable tourism and Albert has been a member of the finalist selection panel for the last three years.<\/p>\n

The finalists for Tourism for Tomorrow award 2007 for each category are, in alphabetical order:
\nDESTINATION AWARD<\/strong><\/p>\n