GLENN JAMPOL is a pioneer in Costa Rica and for the last 33 years has been the owner and developer of two award winning 5 level certified sustainable hotels in Costa Rica: Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Farm & Inn. Since 1998 Finca Rosa Blanca has achieved the highest level possible in Costa Rica in the program, Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) and before it was disbanded, the Inn was one of National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World.

Mr. Jampol is also a farmer and purveyor of single origin estate organic coffee (www.CafeRosaBlanca.com), and was the global recipient of the Rainforest Alliance International Sustainable Standard Setter Award. He has pioneered agro-ecotourism combining regenerative tourism with organic farming,

For six years Mr. Jampol was the President of the Costa Rica National Ecotourism Association (CANAECO) and in 2009 he created the renowned International Conference, Planet, People, Peace (P3), a bi-annual ecotourism conference

Currently Mr. Jampol is the Chair of the Global Ecotourism Network (GEN), and is a founding member of the newly formed Latin America & Caribbean Ecotourism Network (LACEN). He is also a director of the board of the World Food Tourism Association (WFTA).

Tony Charters has over 20 years’ experience in tourism planning, development and management. He was a founding director of Ecotourism Australia and has served continuously on the Board since 1990. He also serves on the Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN). An environmental scientist and urban and regional planner by profession, Tony entered the tourism industry after a senior executive career in World Heritage Area. In 2014 he was awarded an Order of Australia by the Governor-General for his services to ecotourism.

After 17 years working in the technology sector, Nabil Tarazi left his job in 2006 and spent a year backpacking in Australia and Asia where he found his calling: adventure and ecotourism. He founded EcoHotels in 2009, and entered into partnership with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature to manage and operate the only ecolodge in Jordan, Feynan Ecolodge. Under Nabil’s management, Feynan became a model ecotourism destination, achieving numerous international awards, including being selected by National Geographic Traveler as one of the best 25 ecolodges in the world. Nabil now consults on the development and operation of ecolodges in the Middle East.

Masaru Takayama is the founding chairperson of Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN) and Japan Alliance of Responsible Travel Agencies (JARTA), all to promote sustainable development in tourism. Apart from these global and national initiatives, he runs Spirit of Japan Travel, a carbon- neutral boutique responsible travel agency registered in Awaji Island near Kobe. His latest agenda is to jointly promote community-based tourism with this travel agency at a Japan national cultural property, Shunyoso, to pass on the spirit of Japan for the generations to come.

Aivar Ruukel has run a small local nature tourism business since 1992, located in Soomaa National Park of Estonia. He is an enthusiast of sustainable tourism development, social media marketing and digital storytelling. Soomaa National Park received the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) award 2009 in the category “Tourism in Protected Areas”. Since then Aivar has actively participated in the EDEN network. He is a member of the Estonian Ecotourism Network since 1993, one of the initiators of the national ecotourism quality scheme “Estonia – the Natural Way” since 2000, and one of the organizers of the 1st European Ecotourism Conference held in Pärnu, Estonia in 2010.

As an “Ecotourism enthusiast”, Ary has been a leader of nature-based tourism in Indonesia since 1987. He is the founder of Indonesian Ecotourism Network (INDECON – 1995) and became the Director in 2002. He obtained the Awareness Certificate on Sustainable Tourism from Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) in 2016 and has been selected as the Vice Chair Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN) in 2018.

Ary has initiated ecotourism and community-based development initiatives in Indonesia, in many various aspects including destination management, institutional development, product development, etc. with local government, local communities, and international organizations. He had become technical advisor for ministries on sustainable tourism issues. For these, WTTC has nominated INDECON as Finalist for Tourism for Tomorrow Award in 2016.

David Fennell is Professor at the Brock University, Department of Geography and Tourism Studies in Canada. David researches mainly in the areas of ecotourism, tourism and animal ethics, and sustainable tourism. He has published widely in these areas, including books on Ecotourism (5th edition), Ecotourism Programme Planning, Tourism Ethics (2^nd edition), Codes of Ethics in Tourism, Tourism and Animal Ethics, and Sustainable Tourism: Principles, Contexts, and Practices. A major thrust of his research involves the use of theory from other disciplines to gain traction on tourism’s most persistent problems. Fennell is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Ecotourism, is the editor of a Routledge book series on tourism ethics, and is the editor of two Routledge Handbooks: Tourism and the environment, and Ecotourism.

Edith is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in strategic environmental management having held senior positions in both public and private sectors in Kenya, from co-ordinating field training and country-wide surveys to policy formulation for countries and regional blocks. A Chevening scholar experienced in building teams, developing and assessing environmental and social safeguard programs. Strong networks in tourism, conservation, environment, sustainable agriculture and energy spaces. Passionate about research and social engagement to develop legacies of positive change.

Hitesh Mehta, a dual Kenyan/American citizen, was until February 2015, the longest serving Board member of The International Ecotourism Society (TIES). Hitesh is one of the world’s leading authorities, practitioners and researchers on ecotourism and sustainable tourism physical planning and both the landscape architectural and architectural aspects of ecolodges. Hitesh is a Protected Area Physical Planner, an eco-Architect and an Eco-Landscape Architect. He is also an Adjunct Professor and an author of three books, including “Authentic Ecolodges” by world renowned publisher – Harper Collins.

Jorge Moller started with ecotourism in 1985 in the South of Chile, founded “Eco Travel” in the Lake District Puerto Varas in 1990, and has always been dedicated to nature and cultural tourism. A pioneer in the area of Specialist Interest Tourism throughout the country, Jorge was a founding member of Chile’s adventure travel regulatory organization (C.A.T.A.) and the Tourism Corporation of Puerto Varas. Always aware of bringing an environmental education perspective into a tourism experience, he was the Owner of Darwin’s Trails Chile, a joint English-Chilean inbound Tour Operator with 20 years of experience providing authentic local experiences and local people contact for clients visiting Chile and Patagonia. Jorge works as a consultant with indigenous communities such as the Mapuches, Likan Antai, Yagan and Rapa-Nui to provide them tools for sustainable development. As an active member of the Board of the Chilean Tourism Bureau, he promotes the destination of Chile in a sustainable way so as to include all types of experiences around the multiple Chilean territories and destinations. Jorge was also a teacher at the Universidad Católica and a strategic partner of Fedetur (integrating the upcoming Sustainable Distinction “S” in Hotels and Tour Operators). In 2013, Jorge participated in the GSTC Early Adopter Program in Chile and had the privilege to represent Chile’s Lake Region at the GSTC AGM in Bonito, Brazil. Jorge was instrumental in the cofounding and development of the South American Sustainable Tourism Network (SAST Network), which came into existence after this year’s GSTC AGM and the ESTC in Bonito, Brazil. Jorge is also a GSTC Country Representative and trainer in Chile and Director of the Destination Sustainable Working Group at the GSTC. He co-organized the 2015 Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS) in Puerto Varas. Today, Jorge is working with different destinations of Latin-America like Robinson Crusoe, Cape Horn and Qhapac Ñan, to raise value and communicate to the national and international markets.

Karen Lewis, with co-founder John Lewis, were ecotourism pioneers in the remote Osa Peninsula of SW Costa Rica. In 1990, they purchased over 1,080 pristine acres (440 H.) of mostly-primary rainforest to develop an ecolodge with 14 bungalows. Their purpose: Conserve the property and demonstrate best sustainable practices can be fiscally viable by involving, educating and working exclusively with a rural community. That focus has helped to benefit and promote environmental conservation by all stakeholders, including curious travelers seeking to make a difference on holiday. With three neighbors Karen founded the nearby Carbonera Primary School, a process that developed over 25 years into a travelers’ philanthropy effort to build or remodel 14 additional remote schools.

Since 2019, Lapa Rios has continued with new ownership. The lodge offers authentic, educational experiences to the community and international travelers surrounded by a globally recognized biodiverse forest overlooking the Pacific; almost 900-acres were placed under a conservation easement in perpetuity prior to the ownership transfer.

Karen Lewis is mostly-retired, yet involved in developing the North American Ecotourism Network (NAEN) aligned with GEN. She resides in the USA.

Since the mid 1990’s, Kirsi has worked with NGOs, business associations, international development agencies, and local and national governments. Firstly, as a B2B marketer for Latin American destinations and SMEs (1995 – 1998) and then as a regional DMO director in the Black Forest (1998 – 2001). In her position as a specialist of Travel, Leisure and Tourism at KPMG Consulting (later BearingPoint) Kirsi worked with a diverse range of clients, from leading travel technology providers to destinations (2001 – 2008). In her role as senior advisor to the National Tourism Organisation of Montenegro (2006 – 2013), she worked closely with the government and NTO management, helping to establish funding sources and linking national and international stakeholders and partners. Completed projects of destination and business development in Europe, the Caribbean and Asia (2011 – 2021).

In 2013, she founded her own company and as a consultant and facilitator, concentrates on capacity building, organisational change, service diversification for emerging destinations, branding and marketing of new, community-and-nature-based tourism products. Kirsi is co-founder and leader of the Travel Massive Montenegro chapter and co-founder and partner of the Balkan Green initiative. Since 2018, serving in the Management Board of GEN, Kirsi helps develop the European Ecotourism Network (EEN). Since 2020 representative of Green Destinations in Montenegro, as coach and auditor; a Travelife certified coach and auditor for tour operators, and since 2006, a regular guest lecturer at European Universities. Under Kirsi´s project leadership (2003 – present), the VDR Business Travel Report Germany delivers pioneering research with facts, figures and trends. Most importantly, Kirsi is of Finnish origin and loves nature. She holds a degree in Business Administration (Tourism Management and Marketing) from Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, Germany.

Dr. Mihee Kang is Global Assurance Program Director at Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).  She has taught and researched on ecotourism and sustainable tourism at Seoul National University and other universities since she got her Ph.D. degree in 1999 at Seoul National University, Korea. She has been involved in sustainable tourism policy development and planning and sustainability assessments of various types of destinations in S. Korea and other countries over 27 years.

She has served a number of key positions in both domestic and international organizations including Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN) and Korea Ecotourism Society. She has actively participated in numerous research projects and ODA projects in Korea and abroad including Australia, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Paraguay, Sri Lanka, and many others.

She is acknowledged as a top expert in Asia- Pacific on certification for sustainable tourism, called upon regularly by top government ministries, local authorities, NGO’s, etc. for research and guidance on standards, certification, and compliance.

Marianela Camacho Fuenmayor has been GEN Communications Manager since March 2018. A founder member of the Latin American & Caribbean Ecotourism Network (LACEN), she is also a Research Professor of Architecture and Design at Universidad del Zulia in Venezuela.
Marianela is passionate about ecotourism, sustainable tourism, protected natural areas and indigenous populations, especially indigenous cultures in her own country, Venezuela.
She received a BSc. in Architecture, as well as an MSc. Comprehensive Planning for Tourist Development from Universidad del Zulia and a PhD in Tourism and Leisure at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Catalunya, Spain.
She is a member of Fundación Etnika, Angel Conservation Corporation and the Jimmie Angel Historical Project, working on the planning, design, management and implementation of interdisciplinary cooperative development projects related to tourism, cultural conservation and production / agricultural processes in protected natural areas.

manager@GlobalEcotourismNetwork.org