Sri Lanka to be position a Tourism Earth Lung – September 2007

Sri Lanka Tourism in addressing its responsibility as a global citizen has taken on the climate change challenge with proactive action, initiated on the World Tourism Day celebrated in Sri Lanka as the host country. Sri Lanka tourism will launch a big idea initiative to position itself as a Tourism Earth Lung Destination. 

Given the challenges that long-haul air travel and tourism face within the climate change scenario, Sri Lanka will seek to establish codes of practice within the tourism industry that will offset CO2 emissions. A major programme will be to plant as many trees and create seedlings that are required to offset the carbon generated through tourism related activities. 

The vision of Sri Lanka is to become a carbon neutral destination. The World Tourism Organization is to back Sri Lanka’s claim, where the concept of a ‘Tourism Earth Lung Destination’ will be launched at the 2nd Climate Change and Tourism Conference to be held in Davos, Switzerland from 1st to 3rd October 2007. 

The concept will be championed by the Tourism Minister Milinda Moragoda at an international level. The concept sponsored by the Responsible Tourism Partnership (RTP) recognizes that Sri Lanka’s forests are already a major sink for carbon. It is intended that this tourism led initiative will lead to further conservation of our forest resources through wide-spread awareness and participation of the public and visitors with further greening of areas within the island destination. 

The World Tourism Organization Secretary General Francesco Frangialli and the Assistant Secretary General Prof. Geoffrey Lipman, both endorsed the idea of promoting a Carbon Clean Sri Lanka as a Tourism Earth Lung Destination and commended it as a pioneer initiative of Sri Lanka Tourism, that can open new dimensions for international tourism.

For more information:
Charmarie Maalge
Mobile: 077 3251088

27th September 2007