May 12, Colombo: At the recently concluded 'PATA CEO Challenge 2008 on Confronting Climate Change', Sri Lanka Tourism's Earth Lung initiative to work towards being carbon clean within a ten year framework was lauded as an industry first by travel and tourism industry leaders.

New Zealand and Sri Lanka were the only destinations featured among the eleven panelists of the rapid-fire session on boardroom challenges.

The moderator, CNN International’s Kristie Lu Stout asked Ed Fuller, President and Managing Director of Marriot International whether he would invest in a hotel in Sri Lanka now that he knows what Sri Lanka is doing with its Earth Lung Programme.

"I was there one and half weeks ago, and we certainly are considering the possibility," Fuller responded. “In Europe, consumers say: we will not buy your hotel unless you have an environmental programme we can see,” he added.

Sri Lanka and New Zealand were cited as ‘destinations striving towards carbon neutral status.’ From the private sector the main scorers were Six Senses Resorts and Spas, Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts, Marriot International and Australia based Intrepid Travels, for their current actions and proposed solutions to the climate change crisis. Sri Lanka’s Sigiriya Hotel was featured at a breakout session on hotel initiatives for its carbon foot print measurement and offsetting initiatives.