Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation


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4th Asia-Pacific Ecotourism Conference 2006 (APECO) Taman Negara, Pahang, Malaysia 2-5th November, 2006

APECO was held in Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia from 2-5th November, 2006.
Palitha Gurusinghe, President, Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation has been invited by the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) to deliver a Keynote Speech on ‘The Challenges in Running Community Based Ecotourism Projects’
See his Presentation; http://www.apeco2006.com
Taman Negara National Park is Malaysia’s premier National Park, covers 4343 square kilometers and located in the Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu provinces. It is 130 million years old, perhaps older than the Congo or the Amazon. It is the oldest rain forest in the world. The highest mountain in the Peninsular, Gunung Tahan, (2186 meters) stands in the park. Covered with primary jungle and scattered limestone outcrop, it is truly the outdoor destination for the holidaymakers and nature lovers from all over the world.
This was the first APECO to be convened in a National Park and the biggest International Conference ever held in Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia. The conference was very much involved with the public sector, private sector and stakeholders in a ecotourism and it showcased new ecotourism destinations and products in the Asia-Pacific regions. APECO also provided a platform for public and private sector members of the Asia Pacific regions to meet every year and to discuss issues of common interests and to synergies its development and marketing efforts to promote Asia Pacific as a single ecotourism destination on a win-win basis.
According to the Taman Negara Declaration, the delegates agreed to resolve and support the following areas on ecotourism.

To further develop ecotourism products, knowledge and expertise, both the public and private sectors, for the purpose of using these as a tool for competitive advantage.
To encourage greater investment of new ecotourism products in the Asia Pacific region.
To improve private and public sector skills and knowledge in sustainable tourism development.
To generate new ideas on developing and promoting ecotourism for the tourism bodies and government of ASEAN countries in relation to demand for ecotourism in Asia Pacific.
To disseminate the latest news, market trends, destinations, cultural and conservation integration and concerns of those active in improving the ecotourism experience.
To network among conference participants on the latest trends on ecotourism and to learn from each other to develop ecotourism into a bigger niche market

Malaysia is one of those countries where ecotourism is hardly understood and there are great potential and opportunities to develop further. Learning about Community Based Ecotourism Projects is such a humbling experience for some of the Malaysians they have shared the views with the international delegates. There was lively interaction between the audience and speakers that created a wonderful opportunity, particularly to the Malaysians who are eager to know and learn more about ecotourism and perhaps initiate and involved with new community based ecotourism projects.