Principal and Marketing Coordinator Travel to Oslo, Norway for Summit on Sustainable Tourism Practices

Boulder, Colorado -(July 19, 2007)- Principal Dominique Gettliffe and his daughter, Marketing Coordinator Emilie Gettliffe, recently traveled to Oslo, Norway for the Global Ecotourism Conference. According to The International Ecotourism Society, it was the first major global conference on ecotourism since the U.N.’s International Year of Ecotourism in 2002. It was an unqualified success, attended by over 450 participants from over 70 countries.

The two attended the conference because Gettliffe Architecture is now offering ecolodge design services. They met dozens of people from a wide variety of backgrounds and interests: there were representatives from NGOs (Non-governmental organizations), governmental organizations, universities, private tour operators, ecolodge owners, and even a few architects!

The aim of the Conference , as described in the GEC 07’s website ecotourismglobalconference.org, was to “not only celebrate the achievements in the field of ecotourism, but to assess the challenges facing the industry in the years to come.” The WTO (World Trade Organization) projects that tourism will be one of the world’s biggest industries in the decades to come, and most likely the biggest for several of the world’s developing countries. Global tourism at present is often inherently unsustainable, so it is therefore of utmost importance that strong, decisive actions be taken concerning the development of this industry. View the Oslo Statement on Ecotourism, a landmark declaration in global ecotourism.

The Conference provided many contacts and good momentum for Gettliffe Architecture’s move into the ecolodge market. Gettliffe Architecture is well positioned for this market, with over 2 decades of experience in sustainable design, passive heating and cooling, and the use of natural daylighting and connections to nature to create spaces which are a delight to experience. The firm also has international experience and staff, and is currently able to offer architectural services in Spanish, French and English. According to Gettliffe, the firm is targeting involvement in 3 ecolodge projects in 2008. The firm maintains an Ecotourism web page to showcase their services and competencies in the field.

Gettliffe Architecture’s online portfolio is at gettliffe.com. French and Spanish translation of the website are currently underway. There are several pages relating to sustainability, including Green Design, Community, and News. A collage of the Gettliffe’s trip is also available.