Ecotourism stint in Cairns for Japanese ranger
Published Tuesday, 14 August, 2007 at 09:56 AM
Minister for Environment and Multiculturalism
The Honourable Lindy Nelson-Carr
Ecotourism in both the Cairns region and Japan is expected to benefit from the appointment of a Japanese ranger to the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service in Cairns for six months.
Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr said today that Mr Tomohiro Hara from Shizuoka near Tokyo was working closely with the Cairns tourism industry in the hope that the shared experience would prove valuable to Queensland and Japan.
“QPWS rangers will draw on the cultural expertise of Mr Hara to help ensure the best encounter with ecotourism is being offered to visitors. This may include liaising with Japanese tour operators and helping develop multilingual brochures.
“When Mr Hara returns to Japan, he will take information and practices to assist in his country’s emerging ecotourism industry,” Ms Nelson-Carr said.
Member for Cairns and former Environment Minister Desley Boyle welcomed the arrangement which grew from her attendance at the World Heritage conference in Aomori, Japan, in October 2005.
“Our national parks and world heritage areas are major attractions for tourists from Japan and having a ranger from that country working for a period in Cairns can only prove to the good of the industry here and in his homeland,” Ms Boyle said.
A similar six months’ placement is also happening in south-east Queensland with Toyko resident Mr Seigo Murakami.
Ms Nelson-Carr said the two Japanese rangers were selected by QPWS, the Japan Ecotourism Society and the Tourism Queensland Tokyo office.
“One of many advantages of this important cooperative program is that it affords the opportunity for QPWS to share World Heritage best management practices with our friends in Japan,” she said.
#photographs available on request
Media Contact: Karla Steen 3336 8004
Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr said today that Mr Tomohiro Hara from Shizuoka near Tokyo was working closely with the Cairns tourism industry in the hope that the shared experience would prove valuable to Queensland and Japan.
“QPWS rangers will draw on the cultural expertise of Mr Hara to help ensure the best encounter with ecotourism is being offered to visitors. This may include liaising with Japanese tour operators and helping develop multilingual brochures.
“When Mr Hara returns to Japan, he will take information and practices to assist in his country’s emerging ecotourism industry,” Ms Nelson-Carr said.
Member for Cairns and former Environment Minister Desley Boyle welcomed the arrangement which grew from her attendance at the World Heritage conference in Aomori, Japan, in October 2005.
“Our national parks and world heritage areas are major attractions for tourists from Japan and having a ranger from that country working for a period in Cairns can only prove to the good of the industry here and in his homeland,” Ms Boyle said.
A similar six months’ placement is also happening in south-east Queensland with Toyko resident Mr Seigo Murakami.
Ms Nelson-Carr said the two Japanese rangers were selected by QPWS, the Japan Ecotourism Society and the Tourism Queensland Tokyo office.
“One of many advantages of this important cooperative program is that it affords the opportunity for QPWS to share World Heritage best management practices with our friends in Japan,” she said.
#photographs available on request
Media Contact: Karla Steen 3336 8004