ABOUT US

About Us

Tony Charters and Associates operates a national and international tourism consultancy. 

We specialise in providing innovative solutions for sustainable outcomes in:
  • Sustainable Tourism
  • Destination Development
  • Ecotourism
  • Nature-based Recreation
We provide services across:
  • Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement
  • Tourism Research and Policy Development
  • Regional Planning
  • Concept and Master Plans
  • Marketing
  • Product Development
  • Quality and Certification
  • Media Planning and Management
  • Tourism Industry Conference Event Design and Convening
lady elliot island updated

The Team

Tony Charters
Tony Charters AM

Tony Charters AM

Tony Charters AM is a globally recognised leader in ecotourism, environmental planning, and sustainable destination development. With over four decades of experience spanning government, private sector, and international consultancy roles, Tony has been instrumental in shaping ecotourism policy and practice in Australia and abroad.

He is the founder and principal of Tony Charters and Associates, a firm known for strategic tourism planning, masterplanning ecotourism in protected areas, and policy development. Tony currently serves as the Senior Advisor to the United Nations Development Program in Saudi Arabia, contributing to large-scale ecotourism initiatives under the Vision 2030 framework.

Tony’s earlier roles include Environmental Director with the multi-award-winning Kingfisher Bay eco-resort, Executive Director at Tourism Queensland and Executive Director of the Wet Tropics Management Authority, where he played a pivotal role in establishing operating systems for one of Australia's premier World Heritage areas. His consultancy work has spanned over 20 countries, with clients such as the World Bank, UN-FAO, UNDP, IUCN, and the Royal Commissions for Riyadh City, Al Ula and Royal Reserves.

Tony has authored influential publications and convened more than 45 major tourism and conservation conferences, including the Global Eco Asia Pacific Conference. He has also judged prestigious international awards such as the World Legacy Awards and Tourism for Tomorrow for over 15 years.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2014 for his significant contributions to ecotourism and environmental education, and he is a Life Member and medal recipient of Ecotourism Australia. His enduring impact is evident not only in national policy but in global networks where he continues to mentor, lead, and innovate in the ecotourism field.

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Dr. Elizabeth Saxon

Elizabeth Saxon has a PhD in Sustainable Tourism and an academic background in environmental policy and planning, community engagement, conflict resolution and resource economics. She has held senior roles in local government delivering sustainability programs for small businesses and in state government advising on sustainable tourism issues and solutions. These roles have involved management of projects within the Queensland Ecotourism Plan, the Cities for Climate Protection Program, the National Tourism and Conservation Partnerships Initiative and the National Parks Pricing Study. Over the last 12 years as a sustainable tourism consultant, Elizabeth has delivered projects across several niche tourism sectors including marine, super-yacht, dive, ecotourism, caravan and camping and education tourism. She has worked with government agencies, operators and tourism organisations domestically and internationally to conduct risk assessments and feasibility studies and to develop tourism master plans and climate change adaptation strategies. Key projects have included the development of the current Sri Lankan National Tourism Plan, the Climate Action Certification schemefor Australian tourism operators and the Marine Tourism Co-ordination Framework & Contingency Plan for the Great Barrier Reef.

Elisa Tempie
Elisa Tempie

Elisa Tempié holds a Master’s degree in Sustainable Tourism, with a specialisation in responsible marketing. She supports tourism organisations in France and internationally in the development of their projects and communication strategies.

Her experience has led her to collaborate with small businesses and regional-scale organisations in Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, and France. She contributed to projects related to local development, communication, and community engagement. She has also taken part in tourism research focused on national parks in Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Cambodia.

Elisa also holds a degree with a specialisation in communication and media. She has worked with Santai Travel, a Malaysian travel media outlet, and consistently integrates creativity and strategic communication into her projects. This background gives her a sharp eye for enhancing the visibility of tourism initiatives in an authentic and engaging way.

Elisa has worked with a variety of niche tourism businesses, including those in coastal tourism, diving, surfing, hospitality, and education, helping them stand out through tailored marketing approaches.

She designs and implements custom strategies that highlight local, sustainable, and meaningful initiatives. Her core skills include project management, marketing strategy, communication planning, research and trend analysis, and branding and positioning.

For over five years, she has cultivated a rigorous and creative approach, dedicated to promoting a more authentic, human-centred form of tourism, respectful of communities.

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Sai Rattanavong

Acksonesay, or known simply as Sai, is a sustainable tourism development professional with over 10 years of experience in leading the implementation of tourism-integrated approach to development in Laos. Sai’s technical knowledge includes: tourism planning, community-based tourism product design and development, rural development and supply chain development. Offering professional skills such as: project management, field research, report-writing, budget analysis and management, stakeholder analysis, training and facilitation. She is a highly resourceful professional who is results-oriented and possesses impeccable organisational and interpersonal skills.

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Belinda Ha

Belinda Ha manages the production and distribution of Tourforce  and is an event co-ordinator at Tony Charters & Associates. Belinda is a Bachelor of Journalism graduate from the University of Queensland. Previously a member of the events team with The Queensland Media Club, she has successfully supported the planning and coordination of events ranging in size from 200 to 850 guests including the Queensland Election 2012 Leaders' Great Debate.

Belinda has a reputation for her customer focus as well as attention to detail in all aspects of event management.

Tony Charters CV

Our Associates

Steve Kamerino
Steve Kamerino

Steve Kamerino
Protected Area Conservation and Management Specialist

Steve is an accomplished specialist in protected area conservation and management with more than 15 years of hands-on experience across Kenya, Uganda, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His career spans diverse roles in national park planning, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, and community engagement, underpinned by a strong academic foundation in environmental policy and biological sciences.

Since 2017, Steve has served as a National Park Planning and Development Expert with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Saudi Arabia. In this role, he has provided critical technical advisory services to the National Centre for Vegetation Cover and Combating Desertification (NCVC), guiding the development of national park strategies, biodiversity action plans, site-based management frameworks, and ecotourism concept plans for Wuthaylan, Asir, and Madinah region parks. His work has been instrumental in shaping Saudi Arabia’s emerging protected area network under Vision 2030.

Steve’s earlier work in Kenya includes leadership roles with the Kenya Wildlife Service as National Park Warden at Sibiloi and Malindi Marine National Parks, and as a Community Liaison Officer for the Northern Kenya Biodiversity Conservation Project. He played a central role in developing community conservancies, coordinating forest restoration, managing human-wildlife conflict, and co-authoring conservation area management plans.

In addition to his technical expertise, Steve brings strong competencies in stakeholder engagement, environmental education, project management, and strategic capacity development. He has undertaken professional training with IUCN-PAPACO, the Kenya School of Government, and FAO Rome, reinforcing his leadership in conservation policy and practice.

Steve is a respected collaborator and brings deep regional insight, strong institutional knowledge, and a commitment to community-led conservation to every assignment he undertakes.

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Costas Christ

Costas Christ is a global expert in sustainable tourism planning, product development and branding. His work has taken him to more than 130 countries. He has served as a strategic advisor to Tourism Ministers and Heads of State, travel corporations, hospitality groups and tourism associations, connecting tourism products and services to the protection of natural and cultural heritage, and economic development. 

He is an award-winning travel writer for National Geographic and serves as National Geographic Senior Advisor for Sustainable Tourism. Costas was honoured in 2012 with CNN Founder Ted Turner, Oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, and Virgin Founder Sir Richard Branson, for his lifelong work advancing sustainable tourism, conservation and cultural heritage preservation. In 2017, Costas received the International Peace Through Tourism Award for his tourism development work in former conflict zones in Colombia and Sri Lanka. In addition, Costas is the Global Sustainability Strategist for Virtuoso - the world’s largest luxury travel network. He is the lead author of Tourism and Biodiversity (UNEP 2003), and a contributing author to Wilderness: Earth's Last Wild Places (CI 2004), Transboundary Conservation: A New Vision for Protected Areas (CEMEX 2005) and Echoes of Bhutan ( Schaffer, 2017). 

His travel stories have been featured in publications including the New York Times, Sunday Times of London, and International Herald Tribune. He also appears on television and radio as a guest travel expert, with appearances on Travel Channel, Good Morning America, CNN International, FOX, BBC World, National Geographic Channel, National Geographic Weekend, and National Public Radio.

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Dr. Kaewta Muangasame

Dr. Kaewta Muangasame was completed a doctorate degree at School of Tourism and Hotel Management, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She holds a M.Sc. in International Hospitality Management from Leeds Metropolitan University, The United Kingdom. Currently, she have been working as a faculty member and researcher in Tourism and Hospitality Management Division, Mahidol University International College, Thailand since 2006. For Academic service, Kaewta is strongly involved in both Tourism and Hospitality consultancy projects for government agencies such as Department of Tourism, Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration, Ministry of foreign affairs and ASEAN Tourism Marketing and Communication Working Group ( ATMCWG). She also served as a Marketing trainer of Tourism Authority of Thailand and being as a project leader to create the National Strategic Planning for Sustainable Tourism Destination in Thailand. Her projects mainly focus on Eco and Green tourist behaviour, Destination branding, Sustainable Tourism planning & policy, Interpretation in Tourism, Visitor management, Community Based Tourism, and Gastronomy tourism. 

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Fouad Bliebel

James Corvan is one of Australia’s most experienced regional tourism practitioners having successfully marketed and developed a number of destinations across Australia. James gained widespread tourism experience in his early days working for domestic and international airlines and in the cruise sector.

His key strengths lie in his ability to build successful partnerships across organisations and individuals in order to maximise successful outcomes with a minimum of resources. He has successfully managed seven Regional Tourism Organisations in Queensland and the Northern Territory and was a board member on the Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Whitsundays RTOs.

James also spent ten years in Executive positions at Tourism Queensland heading up the Destination Marketing and Destination Management areas. He was part of the team that developed the highly successful “Where Else but Queensland” campaign and the name change from Queensland Tourist and Travel Corporation to Tourism Queensland.

From 2012 to 2015 James was a director on the Tourism and Events Queensland board and a judge on the Queensland Tourism Awards. In 2017 he was a judge on the Whitsunday Tourism Awards and the Mackay Tourism Awards and on the Vanuatu Awards in 2018. He was also Chief Judge for the Queensland Restaurant and Catering Awards for three years.

James was a key member of a team who wrote the Four Year (2017- 21) Sri Lankan Tourism Action Plan for the World Bank.

Experience

  • Ten years in marketing for a State Tourism Office (Tourism and Events Queensland)
  • Headed up seven Regional Tourist Organisations
  • Successfully marketed the Mon Repos Turtle Experience – 30% increase in bookings in 2 yrs
  • Team member Sri Lanka Tourism Plan – Average increase in room nights 25% per annum in the first two years after implementation
  • Team member Vanuatu Review of Tourism Structures Private and Public – changes being implemented as a result of the recommendations
  • Member Uluru Kata Tjuta Tourism Committee
  • Team member review of future of Jabiru Township – marketing implications to Kakadu National Park
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James Corvan

Fouad Jamil Bleibel
Design Director | Cultural & Environmental Architecture Specialist

Fouad Jamil Bleibel brings over 30 years of architectural leadership across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman. As a heritage-focused Design Director, he is celebrated for his ability to blend cultural identity with environmental sustainability. He holds a UAE Golden Visa, awarded by the Ministry of Culture, in recognition of his contributions to architecture, design, and cultural heritage.

Fouad has led national parks, museums, heritage villages, and government developments from concept to delivery - often serving as a trusted advisor to ministries and VVIP stakeholders. His experience includes award-winning proposals and the revitalisation of sensitive heritage and ecological sites of national significance.

His core expertise spans heritage conservation, culturally rooted new-build developments, sustainable master planning, and interdisciplinary design coordination. Known for his precise project execution and deep cultural sensitivity, Fouad ensures each project reflects a strong sense of place while meeting contemporary standards.

He continues to advocate for architecture that respects tradition, enhances ecological resilience, and inspires future generations. His leadership is defined by technical excellence, contextual awareness, and a deep commitment to meaningful, place-based design. I will send his photo separately.

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Hitesh Mehta

Hitesh Mehta is a Protected Area Physical Planner, Landscape Architect, Architect, Interior Architect, and is an author of three books, including “Authentic Ecolodges” by world renowned publisher - Harper Collins. Hitesh is considered by his peers as one of the world’s leading authorities, practitioners and researchers on sustainable tourism/ecotourism physical planning and both the landscape architectural and architectural aspects of ecolodges. He is the go-to ecolodge consultant for National Geographic Traveller Magazine. Hitesh has over 30 years’ experience, having worked and consulted in 64 countries on six continents. His firm HM Design (which began in Kenya in 1991) is currently working on environmentally and socially friendly projects in Australia, Philippines, Mexico, Galapagos, Kenya and Dominica.

In July 2006, National Geographic Adventure magazine identified Hitesh as one of five Sustainable Tourism Pioneers in the world. He has been featured / interviewed / mentioned in over 145 international magazines, newspapers, books, newsletters and blogs. Mr. Mehta is also an Adjunct Professor, a Professional Photographer and an ex-Cricket Captain of Kenya.

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Prof Ross Dowling AM

Professor Ross Dowling AM is Foundation Professor of Tourism in the School of Business & Law at Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia. Ross is a Member of the World Commission on Protected Areas; a Life Member of Ecotourism Australia; a Member of the Conservation & Parks Commission in Western Australia (WA); and a WA Parks Ambassador. He is also the founder of the International Geotourism Conferences and an Advisor to UNESCO Global Geoparks.       

As a Director of Ideology (www.ideology.net.au), he is a consultant on tourism providing advice for the industry in a number of countries around the world. He has established a Tourism degree for Emirates Airlines, UAE; convened a number of Tourism Conferences in Malaysia; provided Tourism advice for the Vietnam Government; completed an extensive lecture tour for the Chinese Government, throughout China, Hong Kong and Macau; advised on Tourism Development for the Sultanate of Oman; and conducted a field school for Masters Students at the University of Iceland.

Professor Dowling conducts tourism planning,  development, training and capacity building in the fields of ecotourism, geotourism and cruise ship tourism. He has written or edited 16 international books on tourism and has written over 200 journal publications. In 2011 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his contribution to hospitality & tourism, education and the development of ecotourism.

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Jim Gall

Jim Gall

Jim Gall B. Sc. (hons) B.Arch. (hons 1) is an Adjunct Professor of Design at QUT and Director of Gall Architects (gallarchitects.com.au).

Jim’s first degree is in Environmental Science, hence his multi-disciplinary and ecological view of the world.

Although he is an architect Jim has worked broadly in Sustainment (sustainable and sustaining places). He appreciates the important relationship between design, culture and environment.

Jim has developed a strong profile in the implementation of sustainable design and the development of thinking and design process.

He has won awards in architecture, urban design, interior design.

Jim has high level graphic, writing and speaking skills. He has presented widely to a broad range of audiences in numerous settings.

Jim currently teaches a Masters level architectural design studio at QUT, focused on Sustainable Futures for regional centres.

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Prof Hiroko Kobayashi

Hiroko Kobayashi 
Professor, Tokai University
Ecotourism Office
Department of Tourism Management, School of Business Administration

After spend over 20 years in Australia, working heavily involved ecotourism development and marketing for several different projects, she spent more time in Japan to setting up Japan Ecotourism Society. Through her network in Australia and Japan, she has been promoting Ecotourism and helping to promote regional development by ecotourism for both in  Australia and Japan.

Since 2013, she has been working at the current position of Tokai University and teaching and researching Ecotourim, Inbound tourism and also regional development through tourism.

She has been working very closely with Japanese Government and also regional government in the different levels and contributing strategically marketing and planning of tourism development in Kumamoto prefecture after the sever earthquake.

Rod Hillman
Rod Hillman

Rod Hillman is a sustainable and ecotourism professional with extensive experience in operational and policy roles in Government, Private and NFP sectors. He focusses on assisting projects to be successful in delivering unique ecotourism experiences, tourism certification and designing effective policy outcomes in Public-Private partnerships.

He was Ecotourism Australia’s Chief Executive for close to ten years designing and introducing the ECO Destination program, securing, and managing the bushfire recovery partnership with WWF (Australia), developed a consultancy side to the business (in South Pacific), doubling the membership and overseeing the organisation’s growth to sustainability. In this role he was the voice of ecotourism in Australia and represented the industry Nationally and Internationally.

He has a long-standing relationship within the South Pacific where he has had held permanent roles and undertaken consultancies including:

  • Chief Executive Kokoda Track Authority (PNG)
  • Vanuatu – Design and introduction of tourism standards and certification
  • Solomon Islands – Community based tourism business planning and Destination planning

He has managed high visitation National Parks in Western Australia and the ACT bringing the industry and protected area managers together to achieve the conservation and community objectives of the Parks whilst ensuring the tour operators could create a viable and sustainable business. He was also the founding Chair of the ‘Tourism in Australia’s Protected Areas Forum’ (TAPAF) that bought together the Managers of Australia’s Protected Area Agencies and tourism to develop practical solutions and a national approach.

This experience is balanced by decades spent as a tour leader and tour business manager in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, a Safari company owner in Kenya and headed the tours business from Kingfisher Bay Resort – Fraser Island.

Memberships

Tony Charters is actively involved in supporting and developing the tourism industry. He was a founding director, President and an honorary Life Member of Ecotourism Australia. He is Vice-Chair of the Global Ecotourism Network and an Emeritus Director of the Asian Ecotourism Network.

Our Clients

Tony Charters and Associates provides services to highly respected tourism, conservation and economic development organisations across the globe.

Landmark Projects

Tony Charters has been a leading innovator in protected area and world heritage management, ecotourism, protected area income generation, tourism policy and destination development.