The first man to walk to the North and South Poles is coming to the Bay of Plenty to inspire the region's tourism operators making their living from New Zealand's '100% Pure' brand.
Robert Swan is speaking at The New Zealand Eco-Tourism Conference being held in the Bay of Plenty, September 2 and 3. This is the first time the conference is being held outside the South Island.

It is being hosted jointly by Greymouth-based Tai Poutini Polytechnic and Rotorua's Waiariki Institute of Technology on September 2 and 3.
A number of the region's leading eco-tourism businesses will also share their experiences at the Rotorua based conference alongside Robert.
These range from bigger operators, such as Te Puia, Whakarewarewa Thermal Village and Waimangu Volcanic Valley to the boutique, such as Multiday Adventures and Te Urewera Treks.
The Department of Conservation, which manages 98 per cent of the land on which eco-tourism operates, will also be supporting the conference with case studies and panel discussions about the ventures it is supporting, opening up opportunities for small, rural and Maori communities.
With lots of small group workshops and social networking completing the package, the conference aims to inspire, engage and motivate conference delegates to not only be leaders in their industry, but also in their communities.