LOME - Togo is hosting the second edition of the International Eco-tourism Festival (FESTIECO) with "environment" as the key word for the event to boost the industry in the West African country.

The event will run till Saturday after launched in the capital Lome on Thursday by an NGO called Volunteers for Development and Environmental Conservation (VDAE), with a theme of "Environmental Conservation for the sustainable improvement of the living standards : Sharing the Ghanaian expertise".

The event comes to an end at Agou, 100 km north of Lome with the parade of Queen-mothers and traditional chiefs from Togo and Ghana. Organizers hope to make it a success in raising awareness of problems of sanitation and climatic change.

Activities such as workshops, exhibitions and visits to tourist sites are planned for the festival.

The representative of Togo's Environment Minister, Agbodji Kossi, expressed his gratitude on Thursday to VDAE for efforts to resolve environment and tourism challenges in conformity to the government's plan to make Togo a destination.

He said the country is facing environmental challenges and that its people should get involved in the efforts to resolve them.

Eco-tourism, or green tourism, aims to boost sustainable development centered on the discovery of nature. It takes into account the protection of both environment and human shelter.