Shangri-la Ecotourism Forum 2011
In the fall of 2011., Tibetan travel agents, social entrepreneurs, hotel owners and representatives of NGO’s met in Shangrila, Yunnan province for five days of lectures, discussions and training on ecotourism and community tourism opportunities on the Tibetan plateau. In presentations, participants were introduced to the meaning of ecotourism, new ecotourism initiatives and successful environmental programs in Tibet. Participants also explored simple ways to make daily life a bit more environmentally friendly by recycling chopsticks and teacups and visited some nearby ecotourism attractions.
Over lunch and dinner in the old town of Shangri-la, ideas were shared and new friendships and collabarations formed, and the first steps towards formalising the Tibet Ecotourism Collective were made.