A strategy for sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Sri Lanka is blessed with a diversity of tourism resources and offers a variety of tourism opportunities from 'sun and beach' holidays to cultural heritage tours and wildlife excursions. After a decade of oblivion due to ethnic unrest, Sri Lanka is making a comeback. According to the World Tourism Organization/United Nations Development Programme (WTO /UNDP) study that was carried out in 1991 for the Tourism Master Plan, tourism in the island is expected to grow at a faster rate than world tourism in the 1990s. Unlike many other island states, where the carrying capacity is extremely limited, Sri Lanka is able to sustain a greater growth in tourism activity if development is planned carefully and strategically within the context of social and environmental policies. The major objective of this chapter is to identify the key issues, concerns, constraints and potential related to tourism in Sri Lanka, and to establish relevant policies and goals for tourism development in a sustainable framework in the island. This, as a strategic guideline, should help identify alternative development options and to formulate a sustainable tourism strategy for the next 10 to 15 years.