HONOLULU- The Hawaii Ecotourism Association (HEA), the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and Outriggers Hotels & Resorts presented a panel entitled Sustainability & Greening Your Business on Tuesday, September 27, 2016 at the 2016 Hawaii Tourism Conference. Chris Barzman, Chair of HEA's Sustainable Tourism Certification Program, Bitsy Kelley, the Vice President of Corporate Communications, and Gail Suzuki-Jones, Energy Analyst and Manager of Hawaii's Green Business Program, provided an overview of the resources available to businesses in the travel sector that want to tap into the increasing niche market of travelers that want to support sustainability. They also provided successful examples of what operators could do to make their businesses more “green” from what participants in the recent IUCN World Conservation Congress have done to appeal to this growing market segment across the globe.

The HTA conference also featured other presentations on September 27 aimed at addressing the growing importance of the environment on the travel sector. Curt Cottrell, an Administrator with the Hawaii Department of land & Natural Resources and Andrea Kaawaloa-Okita, a supervisory park Ranger with Hawaii Volcanoes National Park presented Addressing Visitor Impact on the Environment & Hawaii's Ecology. Dr. Chip Fletcher an Associate Dean with the University of Hawaii presented Climate Change, Rising Oceans & Air Quality. Malia Chow with NOAA's Humpback Whale Sanctuary, Mike with the National Tropical Botanical Garden, and Darrell Fox with Hawaii Legacy Hardwoods and Hawaiian Legacy Tours, an HEA certified tour operator, presented Ecotourism and Visitor's Growing Interest in Preservation Initiatives.

Other members of HEA's Ohana that were featured at the event included Andrew Lockwood, President of Pacific Islands Institute, an HEA certified tour operator and Rob Pacheo, President of Hawaii Forest & trails, also an HEA certified tour operator. A conference tour on Monday, September 26 featured HEA certified tour operator Kualoa Ranch.