As I perused the e-newsletters cluttering my inbox, I noticed over half a dozen conferences variously titled eco-tourism, sustainable tourism, green travel. None of them take place in California.

One of the e-pubs, The [1] Sustainable Travel International, mentions three events:

• The [2] Middle East Travel and Tourism Summit, an international conferece, whose theme is Sustainable Tourism: Building Strong Partnerships, last month in Jordan;
• The [3] Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association annual Ecotourism Conference 1-3 March, 2006 in Seward, Alaska; and
• The 8th annual Sustainable Tourism Conference in Puerto Rico 25-29 Apri, 2006, sponsored by the [4] Caribbean Tourism Organization.

In February, there was also the [5] International Conference on Tourism and Environmental Certifications in Portugal, and the [6] Responsible Travel Forum in Baltimore, Maryland.

Here we get [7] California Travel Industry Association’s Conference on Tourism at Disneyland’s Magical Kingdom in Anaheim, and more than our share of adventure travel expos. That’s not to say nothing is happening in California, but given the state’s “green” reputation, its embarassing the state’s travel and hospitality industry has failed to register what has become the most important niche in the business.

While the state’s travel industry seems to be ignoring eco-tourism, green travel is on the agenda for advocates of “smart growth.” There are some hopeful signs that local businesseses and communities, in partnership with the public sector, are exploring eco-tourism as a driver for sustainable economic development and environmental preservation.

For more information, check out:

• The [8] Sierra Nevada Conservancy, where environmental preservation and sustainable economic develop are included in the charter.
• The [9] Sierra Business, whch created a work group on cultural and agri-tourism last year, and is promoting smart growth in Truckee and elsewhere in the range.
• [10] UC Davis’ Small Farm Center, which hosted a nature and agri-tourism conference January 2006.
• The [11] Sierra Nevada Alliance and its land use summit, May 6, in South Lake Tahoe.