Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt's Red Sea Resort today became the second EarthLung destination of the world. Egypt's Minister of Tourism, Zoheir Garranah, declared the commitment of Egyptian Tourism and said, "Following the initiative of Sri Lanka, we are happy to join the Tourism EarthLung Community with our resort destination, Sharm el Sheikh, committing to work towards becoming a carbon neutral destination in the future". This declaration was made at the opening of the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) supported Conference for the Middle East and Mediterranean Region on the theme "Tourism: Responding to a Turbulent Economy and Changing Climate" held this week at Sharm El Sheikh's Jolie Ville Convention Centre.

The conference organised by the Egyptian Tourism Ministry and industry associations, had Francesco Frangialli, the outgoing Secretary General of the UNWTO, Dr. Peter Keller, former Chair of the OECD Tourism Committee, Dr. Ghassan Aidi, President of the International Hotel and Restaurant Association, Martin Brackenbury, President of the International Federation of Tour Operators, Dr. Bandar Alfhaid, Head of the Arab Tourism Organisation, Prof. Terry de Lacy of the Victoria University and many other key tourism figures from the region among its presenters.

At the session on Climate Solutions, Renton de Alwis of Sri Lanka Tourism related the story of Sri Lanka's efforts at mitigating climate change with the launch of the "Earth Lung Initiative" at the UNWTO conference on 'Tourism and Climate Change' in October last year in Davos, Switzerland.

Sri Lanka Tourism has since taken on a pioneering catalytic effort on a ten year agenda to work towards being a carbon neutral tourism destination. Sri Lanka, a country with a near 50 percent green cover of its total land area and a 29 percent forest cover, proposes to involve all stakeholders in a thrust to work in stopping deforestation, effecting reforestation, increased use of renewable energy and efforts at minimising pollution.

De Alwis described how Sri Lanka's Environment and Natural Resources Ministry, the scientific, business, tourism and other stakeholders are working together to create awareness and take on effective programmes to move towards creating a sustainable living environment in Sri Lanka and be an example to the world at large.

Heba Al Ghais Al Mansoori, Middle East Director of SLTPB remarked: "Sri Lanka has launched a series of initiatives including Green Cover to plant 10 million trees over the next couple of years inspired by 'Tourism's Earth Lung project that aims for a Carbon Clean Sri Lanka'."

Ms. Al Mansoori noted that Sri Lanka has produced a new road map for the growth of its tourism industry, "A road map that sees Sri Lankan tourism as carbon clean," she stressed. "There is a program in place for reforestation that provides an ever increasing carbon sink. Sri Lanka's vast tea plantations store carbon. The country is determined to bring together appropriate Carbon Offset Programs (COP) to bear on addressing climate change and in particular, to chart Sri Lankan tourism on its new, carbon clean path," Ms Al Mansoori observed.

Sri Lanka is an exotic tropical destination with an abundance of greenery and historical marvels - some even rated as world heritage sites by UNESCO. Every tourist visiting the country has the opportunity to enjoy a vivid culture, varied eco systems and wildlife, and warm, friendly people.

Tourists from all over the world visit Sri Lanka every year in search of a perfect holiday ranging from nature, culture, adventure, education, healing and spiritual discovery to connecting with roots or simply to watch a cricket match.

SriLankan Airlines operates a full Airbus fleet to 41 destinations in 22 countries worldwide. Flights from the Middle East to Colombo connect with onward services to the Maldives, 11 key destinations in India, seven destinations in the Far East including Malaysia, Singapore, China and Thailand.

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© Press Release 2008