Sri Lanka, July 24 -- In a significant move towards fostering responsible and inclusive tourism, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), in collaboration with UNDP Sri Lanka, recently recognized 100 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) under the National Sustainable Tourism Certification Scheme (NSTC). This initiative, aligned with international sustainability standards, aims to empower tourism SMEs to adopt eco-friendly practices, with a notable 27 of the certified businesses being women-owned - a figure five times higher than the sector's average.

Speaking at the event, Azusa Kubota, Resident Representative of UNDP Sri Lanka, underscored the profound importance of this commitment. She emphasized that sustainable tourism is ...