Reza Azmi
Reza Azmi's conservation career began with WWF Malaysia in 1994 and went on to establish Wild Asia in 2003. Apart from botanical and wildlife surveys, he has led numerous multi-disciplinary teams conducting conservation assessments for international aid-agencies, national governments and NGOs. Besides technical advisory experience, Reza has written several popular publications, which include chapters in books on natural areas in Malaysia; guides to local plant and animal life and travel to natural areas. These publications have been published both in Malaysia and internationally. Reza is also involved with talks and seminars on Responsible Tourism, and is lecturing on the subject for degree and masters students in Malaysia.
One of the key projects Reza has worked on has been the website, www.wildasia.net, an internet portal on natural areas in Asia. Developed in 1998, the site currently draws in over 6,000 visitors per day and has been voted Best Tourism Publisher by Tourism Malaysia two years in a row (2004 & 2005). Since 2004, Reza has also been instrumental in conceptualizing Wild Asia's Responsible Tourism Initiative – an initiative to promote sustainable tourism in destinations by working with tourism operators and engaging travelers. The initiative was highlighted by APEC in 2006 as one of the "Best practices in Sustainable Tourism".