Bahamas Diving Association Announces Free Diving and Sustainable Tourism Conference in Nassau

    /24-7PressRelease.com/ - Nassau, Bahamas, May 4, 2005 -- The Islands of The Bahamas and The Bahamas Diving Association are proud to host internationally known sustainable tourism expert, Dr. Alex Brylske, for a two day seminar entitled "Diving and Sustainable Tourism: How The Islands of The Bahamas Can Remain Competitive in the World's Tourism Market."
As part of our on going efforts to preserve and protect the natural resources within the Islands of The Bahamas, The Bahamas Diving Association, are proud to announce our first Diving and Sustainable Tourism seminar.

This two day intensive seminar is schedule for May 5 - 6, at the British Colonial Hilton in Nassau. The seminar is free, and open to all diving industry personnel, fisheries and all tourism or government officials.

Participants can expect the following from this two-day seminar:
1. Learn about the major resource management issues that are facing the worldwide and local diving community.
2. Learn how your business or organization's environmental commitment can translate into improved customer satisfaction.
3. Learn techniques to help make your customers more competent divers, while at the same time improving their ability to dive in an environmentally responsible manner.
4. Learn how to make your diver training course more "eco-sensitive," and how to develop your own specialty courses in coral reef conservation and low-impact diving.
5. Learn how to explain, in ways your customers will understand and enjoy, the basic functional ecology of coral reefs.
6. Learn what problems coral reefs are facing, and what local actions individuals and organizations can take to stem the tide of destruction.
7. Learn ways to instill a responsible environmental ethic into your customers.
In addition, a limited number of attendees will receive a CD-ROM containing all PowerPoint presentations used in the course (includes over 150 slides), four videos (containing over 45 minutes of footage), an Instructor's Guide for teaching a Coral Reef Conservation course, and numerous support articles (including a comprehensive resource list on coral reef science and management).

Please mark your calendars and plan to have your key staff at this important seminar.

This two-day seminar's agenda is scheduled as follows at the British Colonial Hilton, Nassau, May 5th and 6th, starting at 9 a.m. each day:

Day One: Thursday, May 5th, will be an overview of the Coral Reef system; it's development, balance and how it's impacted by today's tourism.
Day Two: Friday, May 6th, specifically in the AM session, the seminar will focus on global dive destinations and the impact of marketing eco-sensitive issues on their tourism and economies. This AM session will focus on marketing a destination as 'eco-friendly' and the ability to remain globally competitive. Furthermore, this session will deal with marine parks, and the need to get the Bahamas diving industry involved in the decision process with governments. The afternoon session on Friday the 6th will deal with best practices, and case studies of what seems to work globally, in terms of the balance between ecological concerns and development.

This entire seminar is very timely given the pressures on our island chain by development, and the need for clear protection of The Bahamas natural resources.

All dive operators in the Bahamas are encouraged to do the following to promote the seminar:
1. Plan your staff schedules so that either you or a manager can attend the two-day seminar. If logistics make that impossible, then day one is geared for diving operators and their interactions with their customers in regard to marine impact policies. This is a definite must for all dive managers, and ideally key instructors, so please plan your staff schedules accordingly.
2. Invite your local government tourism, fisheries and national trust officials to attend. (At least for the Friday AM Session)
3. Invite your local media, newspapers, web news sources, TV (if exist) radio, etc. and ask them to send a reporter, and not only cover the event, but promote the event to the Bahamian public.
4. Invite local leaders in fishing, boating and environmental protection to attend.
All local press, government, marina, fishing and environmental organizations are invited to attend this seminar.

As a note, this event is free to everyone.

Contact:
William Cline
Marketing Representative
The Bahamas Diving Association,
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism's
Dive Marketing Account
972-267-6700, ext. 14
Bahamas Diving Association:
http://www.bahamasdiving.com

Dr. Alex Brylske info:
http://www.coralreefalliance.org/about/staff/alexbrylske.html

Cline Group is a specialized scuba diving and tourism marketing company, with 20 years of tourism and travel marketing experience.

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