Vale Ian Oelrichs, “strategic thinker & visionary”
Co-creator of the concept of “endemic tourism”, Ian Oelrichs OAM passed away February 24, 2019.
A landscape architect and urban designer by trade, Mr Oelrichs had more than 40 years of experience in development, natural resource management, and tourism. (LinkedIn.)
In 2011 Mr Oelrichs received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) honour for his work in the area of regional development and tourism education.
Steve Noakes, a collaborator and friend, said: “In 1992, Ian played a key role in developing a report called Endemic Tourism for the (then) San Francisco-based Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
“This represented cutting-edge thinking for the time which led into our current concept of sustainable tourism.
“Ian had the creative foresight to consider not only how the economic benefits of tourism can contribute to communities, but also how important it was to recognise and manage the negative impacts on the local environment and the local socio-cultural fabric.
“He recognised the benefits of bringing together local communities, industries, governments, and research institutions to plan for better places to live in and to visit.
“We have lost a great strategic thinker and visionary for destinations where communities welcome visitors.”
The PATA think tank of which Mr Oelrichs was a key member broadly defined endemic tourism as:
… tourism which recognises
a) that each individual locality or community has its special character, and
b) that particular character or identity may well constitute its major attractiveness to tourists.
Endemic tourism can be thought of as the tourism asset or product of a place, which includes the environment, culture, and heritage.
The foreword to the think tank’s report — Endemic Tourism, a Profitable Industry in a Sustainable Environment: Towards a Vision for Australia and the Region — raises “overtourism” without using the word:
It is clear that, beyond a certain point, increasing the volume of tourists becomes counter-productive. Damage and pollution resulting from sheer numbers reduce the value of the tourism asset and the incremental costs arising from higher volume can more than offset the additional revenue generated.
According to Mr Noakes, who brought the sad news to “GT” Blog’s attention, Mr Oelrichs suffered a stroke and died while trying to drive himself to a hospital near his home in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia.
Mr Oelrichs is survived by his wife Claire and two sons, Cooper and Dexter.
Dr Claire Oelrichs founded the Save Indonesian Endangered Species Fund, a not-for-profit working with grassroots groups in Indonesia “creating change and delivering real conservation outcomes”.
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