U.S. Department of the InteriorDOI News Header
Office of the Secretary
FOR PLANNING PURPOSES
April 25, 2008
Contact:
Shane Wolfe (202) 208-6416

MEDIA ADVISORY

Secretary Kempthorne to Address Great Smoky Mountains Sustainable Tourism Summit

Secretary to Participate in 11:30 am Press Event with Senator Lamar Alexander

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, on Monday, April 28, will present the keynote luncheon address at the Great Smoky Mountains Sustainable Tourism Summit at the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville, Tenn. The Summit, designed to honor the 75th Anniversary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will be held April 28 – 29.

The Great Smoky Mountains Sustainable Tourism Summit has been primarily designed for the Great Smoky Mountains gateway communities, but the principles and best practices discussed will benefit any community wishing to incorporate sustainability in its tourism industry. Sustainable tourism is defined as sustaining the environment and historical and cultural heritage of a region, while simultaneously sustaining the economic growth of that region.

The Summit is a partnership effort of the states of Tennessee and North Carolina and the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations, The University of Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area.


Secretary Kempthorne's Remarks

Who: Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne
What: Remarks at Great Smoky Mountains Sustainable Tourism Summit
When: Monday, April 28, 2008
1:00 p.m.
Where: Knoxville Convention Center
Knoxville, TN


Press Conference

Who:Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander
What: Press Conference to highlight the three National Park Centennial projects and programs that will soon get underway at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The projects and programs, unveiled Thursday, are part of the National Park Centennial Challenge, an innovative program in which federal funding is used to match philanthropic contributions for the benefit of our national parks as we approach the 2016 centennial of the National Park Service.
When: Monday, April 28, 2008
11:30 a.m.- noon
Where: Knoxville Convention Center
Room 300B
Knoxville, TN
 
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