'Classroom at the beach' is popular with Tourism executives

* Media representatives are invited to interview Tourism Executive Development Program 2001 presenters or organisers, or to visit the TEDP program on Monday June 25. Contact details are below.

Ballina is again set to become a classroom by the beach for 25 tourism managers from around Australia and the Asia Pacific, with the Tourism Executive Development Program (TEDP) 2001 running from June 23 to June 30.

The ninth annual residential program, TEDP 2001, is again fully booked. It will be held at the Ballina Beach Resort, is a series of workshops and seminars with a chance to mix with national and local industry leaders.

The TEDP is a joint initiative of Southern Cross University's School of Tourism and Hospitality Management and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). Participants in the program will come from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Tonga, Guam, Micronesia and five Australian states and territories. Three of the participants are on a scholarship from PATA.

Presenters will be key industry figures from Australia and overseas, and lecturers from Southern Cross University's award winning School of Tourism and Hospitality Management.

Head of SCU's School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Mr. Perry Hobson, said the program had established a reputation for presenting the latest tourism issues and research in an innovative and stimulating learning environment.

"It is one of the highest profile gatherings of tourism expertise in Australia, combining present and future leaders from the tourism industry," he said.

Guest speakers include the CSIRO's Barney Foran, a program manager for the Resource Futures Program conducted by CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems. Mr Foran has co-authored a number of studies into Australia's tourism future-to 2020, beyond the normal forecasting time horizon of two to 10 years. He has also reported on the long-term future for Australia to 2050, including options for population, development and the environment.

Mr Foran's reports analyse visitor numbers, types of visitors and localities likely to receive larger impacts. They identify important future trends such as overcrowding, energy consumption and implications for small operators to adapt to changes in tourism dynamics.

Other presenters include Bangkok-based John Koldowski, PATA Strategic Information Centre managing director, speaking on global trends; Anthony Concil, manager of corporate communications for the International Airline Transport Association in the Asia Pacific, on crisis management; and motivator Matt Rolf from Queensland on leadership.

SCU lecturers presenting include Professor Neil Leiper on business case studies, Ros Derrett on planning and development, Associate Professor Paul Reynolds on destination management, and Ron Dowell on negotiation.

The program caters for a wide range of professionals - including hotel managers, tour and attraction operators, as well as local, state and national government tourism body representatives. TEDP 2001 includes a one-day field trip to Byron Bay, Kingscliff and Murwillumbah-where participants will visit a range of tourism developments and organizations, and consider topics including planning and development, the green debate and sustainability.

For more details, a digital picture of Barney Foran or Perry Hobson, or a copy of the program please contact Ms Kate Benecke (02) 6626 9114 (off.) or 6686 5572