KNOXVILLE -- Some 600 professional and business leaders met here April 28-30 for the inaugural "Great Smoky Mountains Sustainable Tourism Summit," which was held at the Knoxville Convention Center.

The purpose was for those attending to learn about the trend of sustainable tourism, which was defined as "sustaining the environment, culture and heritage of a region, while at the same time sustaining the economic growth through tourism."

The keynote speaker at the luncheon on Monday was Dirk Kempthorne, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

Before coming to Washington, Kempthorne served nearly two terms as governor of Idaho. Prior to his terms as governor, Kempthorne served a six-year term in the U.S. Senate.

As a senator, he led in achieving enactment of two major pieces of legislation; a bill to end unfunded federal mandates on state and local governments, and a revision of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

As Secretary of Interior, Kempthorne oversees 391 national parks.

Speaking at the conference, he congratulated the Smoky Mountain National Park for being the most visited park in the United States, as it attracts between 8 to 10 million visitors annually.

He spoke proudly of the tour of listening sessions that started in Gatlinburg in 2006 in preparation for the National Park Centennial Initiative. It involved holding 40 listening sessions producing more than 6,000 comments that shaped five centennial goals presented a year ago to President Bush.

Kempthorne talked of the importance of preserving the nation's parks, urged those present to reach out to today's youth and get them from "cyberspace to open space."

Some key points made by guest speakers at the conference included:

* Keith Bellows, editor-in-chief of National Geographic Traveler, said that "Sometimes you don't know what you've got until it's gone ... and that's why sustainable tourism is important."

* Dr. Suzanne Cook, senior vice president of research, Travel Industry Association, said the goal should be to "meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to enjoy the environment."

* Jeff Slye, director of environmental affairs, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, discussed the fact that sustainable tourism practices do translate into cost savings, revenue opportunities and a reduced negative impact on the environment.

The keynote speaker at Tuesday's luncheon was Patrice Frey, director, of sustainability research at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

She said, "Older and historic buildings comprise more than half of the existing buildings in the United States. The retention and reuse of these buildings preserves the materials, embodied energy, and human capital already expended in their construction."

Frey said that issues of durability, longevity, and sustainability are always paramount in stewardship of historic sites. She said, "Managing change, in positive ways that respect the past and work for the future" is at the heart of historic preservation, she said.

In addition to lectures and workshops more than 30 exhibitors offered information to the participants.