The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) announces the host of the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference 2009 (ESTC 2009), Portland, Oregon, USA from November 1-3, 2009. The ESTC is the annual bi-national conference focusing on greening the tourism industry in the US and Canada.

Travel Portland and Travel Oregon, the city and state’s destination marketing agencies, respectively, will co-sponsor the 2009 conference as the ESTC 2009 Destination Host. The conference will take place at the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower, the first Hilton property ever to be Green Seal certified.

The 2008 conference, held from October 27-29, 2008, in Vancouver, BC, Canada, attracted more than 400 participants representing over 40 states, provinces and territories in the US and Canada, and 26 countries from around the world. Highlighting various local, national, regional and global sustainable tourism initiatives, the 2008 conference reinforced the importance of multi-stakeholder approaches to sustainable tourism as a tool for bio-cultural conservation.

“Continuing the dialogue on key issues such as green technologies, climate change strategies, and certification programs, the ESTC 2009 will promote effective ways to utilize the sustainable tourism community’s experience and expertise to tackle some of the critical challenges facing the industry today,” said Kelly Bricker, TIES Executive Director and Chair.

Building on the successes of the past conferences, and the lessons learned from the collective experience of the ecotourism and sustainable tourism community, the ESTC 2009 will continue to seek sustainable change for bio-cultural conservation, with renewed and strengthened focus on solutions, implementation, and action.

"It’s an honor to welcome the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference to Portland,” said Jeff Miller, Travel Portland’s president and CEO. “It’s a great opportunity for us to showcase Portland’s commitment to sustainability, as well as the work we are doing to keep moving forward on this issue.”

Portland was recently rated as America’s greenest city by SustainLane, the agency responsible for the most comprehensive and credible benchmarking of sustainability in America. Portland also routinely ranks as one of America’s most livable, sustainable and bicycle-friendly communities. Portlanders recycle 63 percent of their waste, one of the highest rates in the nation; the city’s number of bicycle commuters is eight times the national average; and since 2000, Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development, the pioneering city office providing practical sustainability solutions, has been working in cooperation with several international cities to share best practices in energy, waste management, natural resources and community health.

As one of America’s greenest cities, Portland offers a unique opportunity for the conference to incorporate various off-site interpretive sessions, encouraging participants to learn from the many sustainability best practice examples in and around the city.

Both Travel Portland and Travel Oregon -TIES Sponsor and Supporter members- have implemented various sustainable tourism initiatives locally and nationally, and designated staff members to develop and promote sustainable tourism.