Lao National Tourism Administration (LNTA) the Ministry in charge of tourism development in Laos which comes under the Prime Minister's office in Lao PDR, has entered in to an Agreement with Sri Lanka Eco Tours, the ecotourism business promotion arm of Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation (SLEF), the pioneer national ecotourism organization in Sri Lanka recently.

Palitha Gurusinghe, President, Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation (SLEF) and Ms.Sengsoda Vanthanouvong, Director Tourism Promotions and Marketing, Lao National Tourism Administration (LNTA) with Prof. J.B. Dissanayake, Ambassador to Thailand, Laos and Cambodia at the Sri Lanka Mission in Bangkok. SLEF and LNTA met Prof. Dissananayke in Bangkok to explore the possibilities of promoting tourism between Laos and Sri Lanka

Under this programme, two ecotourism professionals from LNTA arrived last month in Sri Lanka and working with SLEF/SLET and two tourism professionals from Sri Lanka are already working with LNTA in Laos. This ecotourism development programme between Laos and Sri Lanka is being supported by the Fredskorpset (FK), Norway. This is the first ever ecotourism exchange programme implemented by Laos and Sri Lanka with public and private sector participation.

The Sri Lanka-Lao Ecotourism Programme will run for next twelve months.

Common objectives of the project:

Launch ecotourism programmes in two countries to minimize and alleviate poverty Implement ecotourism work programmes to preserve natural and cultural heritage of two countries, support and working together with other like-minded organizations in two countries to conserve environmental and biodiversity, particularly in the tourism generating areas, human resource development in Ecotourism sector (existing and new personnel to the industry, and encouraging more female participation), research, learning and dissemination of information in ecotourism, and to promote eco, adventure, religious, heritage and cultural inbound and out bound tourism programmes between two countries

SLEF/SLET and LNTA agreed on :

• To position Sri Lanka and Laos as the prime destinations for Ecotourism in South, South East Asia and Pacific Region.
• To be the leader in networking with ecotourism organizations in South Asia, South East Asia & Pacific region.
• To be the models in academic and research activities in Ecotourism
• Developing pro-poor tourism strategy within the tourism industry segmenst in Sri Lanka, Laos and other parts of Asia and Pacific region.
• To increase the number of qualified staff working for ecotourism in Sri Lanka and Laos.
• To have better planning and management of ecotourism products in Lao PDR. And Sri Lanka to make Lao PDR and Sri Lanka as the top destinations for Ecotourism

Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation and Sri Lanka Eco Tours appreciate very much the guidance and cooperation extended by George Micheal, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Sri Lanka and the Renton De Alwis, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Sri Lanka, to make LNTA-SLEF/SLET Programme a success