Conference Speakers Background and their Speech Topics
	Dr. Harsh Varma "Trends in Future Tourism Investment" Dr. Harsh Varma is currently the Chief of Technical Cooperation of the World Tourism Organization and has been the Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific and, Chief of the Organization’s Asia-Pacific Section from 1989 to 2004. Prior to joining WTO, Dr. Varma was Deputy Director General in the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation of India. Holder of professional degrees in tourism from the United Kingdom and Austria, Dr. Varma has specialized in tourism planning and tourism marketing. He has been responsible for implementing WTO programmes and projects in the Asia-Pacific region – the prominent amongst these being China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Islamic Republic of Iran and Thailand. He has also organized a number of technical seminars and workshops in the region on subjects of contemporary interest to the countries in the region. He also acts as WTO’s Project Coordinator for the Silk Road project which involves twenty countries of Asia, the Middle East and Europe and aims to revive the ancient Silk Road as an attractive tourism product. Dr. Varma has lectured extensively in Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Americas and has a number of technical articles on tourism to his credit. He also supervises the working of the WTO’s Regional Office in Japan and presently represents the Organization on the Board of the Indian Ocean Tourism Organization (IOTO).
	Mr. Andrew Drysdale "The State of Global Aviaition Industry and its Impact on Regional Airlines." Mr Drysdale, was appointed Regional Director Asia/Pacific for IATA in April 2002. On 12 March he was appointed Regional Vice president for Asia/ Pacific, the first such appointment in IATA. He has had extensive experience in aviation and tourism in Australia and the South Pacific. Mr Drysdale was for 10 years Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Fiji national airline Air Pacific during a period of major strategic growth and profitability. He has also successfully held positions as C.E.O. of Fiji based Blue Lagoon Cruises Ltd, tour wholesaler Tapa Tours, Managing Director of Australia’s Captain Cook Cruises Ltd. and C.E.O. of Publicly listed Australian Regional Hazelton Airlines. He is a former engineering apprentice and has held engineering qualifications on a range of piston and jet aircraft. Mr Drysdale served for eight years on the Board of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, as PATA Chairman in 1996/97 and is a life member of the Association. He has served on the Board of IATA, as Chairman of IATA’s Committee on Human Resources, Chairman of the Association of South Pacific Airlines and as a Director of the Regional Airlines Association of Australia. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a former student of Harvard Business School where he completed the Advanced Management Programme in 1986.
	Mr. Andrew Fairly "Tourism - Future South Pacific Market Trends" - ‘The Turtle Island Experience’ Andrew Fairley is very committed to sustainable tourism and the development of tourism in less developed countries to alleviate poverty in regional areas. He has been a Director of Turtle Island, Fiji since 1985, and together with Richard Evanson, has played a role in elevating Turtle Island to achieve international recognition for its commitment to destination stewardship and community capacity building. In 1994, he launched South Pacific Holidays, a specialist Fiji tour operator in the U.S.A. and Australia respectively. South Pacific Holidays is now one of the larger specialist operators in the U.S for Fiji. He is a Director of the International Ecotourism Society in Washington, and Ecotourism Australia. He is also an International Board member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. He is also a Director and major shareholder of the Sundowner Motor Inns Group in Australia which operates 16 hotels throughout Eastern Australia, and a Council Member of Deakin University. Andrew was recently appointed as the Chairman of the Victorian Alpine Resorts Coordinating Council (ARCC), which was established under the Alpine Resorts Management Act 1997 , reporting to the Minister for Environment. One of the main functions of the Council is to plan for and facilitate the establishment, development, promotion, management and use of the alpine resorts of Victoria. In addition, Andrew is the Chairman of the Sir Andrew and Lady Fairley Foundation, and a member of the Youth Strategy Action Group of Mission Australia. Andrew has practiced as a Commercial & Equity Lawyer for 25 years.
	Mr. Steve Noakes Sustainable Tourism CRC, Griffith University ‘Conserving our Tourism Resources through Sustainable Tourism’ Steve Noakes has been promoting, selling, operating and planning tourism into the South Pacific and other regions of the world for almost 30 years. Nowadays he is a Director of Pacific Asia Tourism. policy. planning. management, a tourism investment, consulting and operations company. He is also senior Consultant to the world’s largest tourism research organisation, the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre and Chair of the Sustainable Tourism Committee established by the Board of the Bangkok based Pacific Asia Travel Association. He has a long and active engagement in a number of international tourism forums. He has been a tourism consultant to NZ Aid and the Asian Development Bank and worked on projects for a number of governments including Cambodia , Indonesia , Solomon Islands , Samoa , Queensland , the Northern Territory , Gold Coast City, Douglas Shire and Tweed Shires within Australia . He is a Director of the first Australian tourism operator to become certified with Green Globe: Binna Burra Mountain Lodge located within the world heritage listed Lamington National Park . He is also an Adjunct Professor in Tourism at Griffith University , Queensland , Australia . His wife, Suzanne is well known as a Melanesian and Micronesia Tour Guide for the past 15 years, particularly in Papua New Guinea.
	Dr. Trevor Sofield "Poverty Reduction through Sustainable Tourism in the South Pacific" Dr Trevor Sofield is professorial chair of the Tourism Programme at the University of Tasmania, Professorial Research Fellow in the School of Tourism and Leisure Management, University of Queensland, adjunct professor Tourism Programme, Murdoch University, Western Australia, and Technical Director, Sustainable Division, CRC/GRM International Consortium. He is currently team leader for an Asian Development Bank project in Cambodia and Vietnam (the Mekong Tourism Development Programme) where poor and equitable tourism development is a major focus, targeting more than 5 million poor. Dr Sofield is well known to the South Pacific region as a former Deputy Secretary General of the Pacific Forum Secretariat and diplomat. He was instrumental in setting up the Tourism Council of the South Pacific (now the SPTO) following the 1984 Tuvalu Forum Heads of Government decision to become actively involved in tourism development for the region. Professor Sofield is a former diplomat and was High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Acting High Commissioner to Vanuatu prior to its independence, Consul General in New Caledonia, and head of the South Pacific Branch, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, amongst other diplomatic positions. For the last three years Professor Sofield has led an international team from the World Tourism Organization developing the ST~EP concept - i.e. Sustainable Tourism as a tool for the Elimination of Poverty. He has been engaged by a number of governments and other agencies to apply the concept to major tourism development projects in countries such as Nepal, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and now Cambodia and Vietnam. He has published widely on the topic and is regarded as one of the foremost Researchers in this field globally. Dr Sofield is married with three children.
	Mr. Robert Igara "Sustainable Tourism - A Case Study from Papua New Guinea" Robert Igara is Chief Executive Officer of the PNG Sustainable Development Program Ltd. His appointments to Boards of Companies, Satutory agencies, Statutory authorities and Government-Owned Corporations include; Director of Oil Search Ltd, a member of the Board of Bank of Papua New Guinea, Director (on behalf of PNGSDP) / Chairman of PNG Microfinance Ltd. And Director (on behalf of PNGSDP) of PNG Sustainable Energy Ltd. Chairman of Minerals Resource Development Company Ltd, Director of Air Niugini Ltd, Chairman of Public Officers Superannuation Fund Board and Director of Bank of Papua New Guinea. He also is the Founding Chairman of Board of Directors of Investment Promotion Authority, Small Business Development Corporation, Industrial Centres Development Corporation, National Forestry Authority and PNG/Halla Cement Corporation during years 1991 – (January) 1994. And State Director on (Commonwealth Development Corporation/PNG Government owned) oil palm and cocoa company – Milne Bay Estates Pty Ltd, 1987-88. Mr. Igara is married with three children.
	Mr. Mali Voi "Intangible Heritage - Cultural Tourism and Sustainable Development: Empowering Indigenous Knowledge Systems as a Pathway to Social and Economic Development in the Pacific" Mr Mali Voi is currently the Cultural Adviser, UNESCO Apia Office; a position that he has held since 1993.The UNESCO Apia Office serves the Pacific sub-region which includes Australia and New Zealand.There are 17 country members states in the Pacific sub-region.  Prior to his current position, Mr Voi served as a member of UNESCO’s Advisory Committee on the Studies of Oceania from 1977 – 1983; he was Chairman of the Advisory Committee for three years.   Mr Voi has successfully conducted the United Nations World Decade for Cultural Development from 1988 – 1997, Vaka Moana Ocean Roads of the Pacific, which featured Tourism in the Pacific.  Mr Voi was one of the first Papua New Guineans to undertake postgraduate studies at Macquarie University, Sydney.  He has occupied senior posts in the Public Service of Papua New Guinea: Public Service posts in the Department of Education; Head of the National Cultural Affairs Office; District Commissioner of Central Province; Registrar of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology.  Mr Voi was the Managing Director of Tourism Development Corporation before taking up his Advisory position with UNESCO Apia Office.  Mr Voi also served as a Member on the Council of Tourism (TCSP) and it’s Board of Directors from 1990 - 1993.  He has written extensively on the subject of tourism in the Pacific.  In 1981, Mr Voi was awarded the Most Excellent Order of British Empire medal by Queen Elizabeth II for successfully directing the 3rd Festival of the Pacific Arts, 1980 in PNG and in 1983, received the Long Distinguished Service Medal for his contribution to the Public Service in Papua New Guinea.