What is Eco-tourism to Sri Lanka?

Eco-tourism in Sri Lanka

Ecotourism is the best growing component in the tourism industry nowadays. Most of the hotels in Sri Lanka promote this sustainable use of this concept nowadays to attract new tourists. When it comes to Sri Lankan tourism, we think that it's all about mesmerize beaches, breathtaking forest views and some exciting adventures without think about its protection. But in this eco-tourism allow us to immerse ourselves into the environment and their cultures without making any damages to them. 

First of all it's important to know about what is eco-tourism?  Eco tourism is totally based on nature tourism in which the main motivation of the tourists is to observation and appreciation of nature as well as the traditional cultures prevailing in natural areas. This eco-tourism mainly focusses on the eco friendliness, long term sustainability, energy serving, water conservation, sustainable sourcing, exploring wildlife without harming them and many more.                                                                                                

As a cultural and traditional based country, Sri Lanka used to promote this eco-tourism in many ways over the past few years. However, the analytics said that arrivals of eco-tourists to Sri Lanka have been less than 1% over the last decades. There are different reasons for this issue from different aspects.

One of the main problems is that the misuse of the original meaning of the eco-tourism. It’s not only the tourism developers who misuse this eco-tourism concept but also the authors of journals, books as well as bloggers who are now used to tarnish the true meaning of the eco-tourism. Costa Rica, Norway, Kenya, Indonesia, United States are some of the main countries that are on the top priority list which promote their eco-tourism industry to the world as it is without damaging the proper meaning. Most of the Sri Lankan hoteliers and tourism developers only think about their pockets without the true meaning of it. But they promote this valuable concept for the sake of money without adding its true features to them.

Let’s dig into some more important details about the eco-tourism

Principles of Eco-tourism

New dimension to tourism industry is added by this eco-tourism concept which protect the mother nature, culture, and improve the life of local community. Selected sites, locations or the entire geological areas are conserve for tourists and locals to visit and appreciate that as a nature gifted beauty. Walking through a rain forest that doesn’t means the correct usage of eco-tourism. Unless it helps to improve the life of local people and raises benefits to that environment.

In the time of COVID 19 pandemic, every single country in the world paused their tourism industry to control it. But at the movement, most of the countries in the world restart their tourism industry step by step with the appropriate safety precautions. As a result of that, Now Sri Lanka is also open for tourism as well. But in the years ahead Sri Lanka can’t expect millions of tourists visit Sri Lanka as a large group. Most of the Western Europe and the Asia-Pacific region tourists prefer to travel to Sri Lanka as small groups which is similar to free individual travellers. They always prefer to take care of their mental health, physical health, safety rather than just taking their foreign tours. When they’re travelling most probably, they avid big coaches and crowded places. And also, they would like to stay in calm, locally owned accommodations like eco-resorts, eco-lodges, nature cabanas, home stays etc rather than staying in five star crowded hotels in Colombo area. Bird watching, exploring wildlife and nature, Spiritual activities like yoga, meditation, learning Buddhism, experiencing Sinhala Ayurveda, Agro tourism are some of the most preferred activities they would like to experience during these kinds of eco-tours. As well as the most favourite thing is to try the Sri Lankan traditional cuisines with the experience of cooking.

As a developing country, it’s proper to take necessary actions to promote and develop this valuable concept in order to attract eco-tourists to Sri Lanka. Because of that there’re some principles which need be considered when it comes to eco-tourism development.

• ·       Conservation of environment
• ·       Design and construction of facilities for the lowest possible impact to the  environment 
• ·       Integrate with the natural and cultural environment
• ·       Minimize physical, social, behavioural and psychological impact
• ·       Build environmental and cultural awareness
• ·       Provide positive experiences for all tourists 
• ·       Produce direct financial benefits for conservation
• ·       Financial benefits to local people

By considering all these principles, it is important to ensure that all the visitors must leave only their footprints on the environment rather than leaving them destroyed. Travel to an eco-tourism destination is known as visiting an alive eco system. Because of that it is better to identify it's features and behaviours to protect them without damaging. To encourage the eco-tourism in hotels, resorts, lodges, restaurants, it's better to use recycled recourses for the construction as well as for the maintenance. 

In Sri Lanka, eco-tourism is most famous in rural areas in order to supply best eco-tourism experiences to the eco tourists. There are some of the eco-resorts, eco-lodges, eco-spa, eco-restaurants which provides best environmentally friendly experiences to tourists by immerse in the nature. They mainly think about the sustainable sourcing, energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, wildlife protection, cultural activities with village community etc. Some of the sustainability practices are listed below.

 Water conservation

• ·       Water use audited by an independent organisation
• ·       Water-efficient toilets
• ·       Towel and linen reuse programme

 Waste reduction

• ·       Recycling programme
• ·       Food waste reduction programme
• ·       Composts excess food
• ·       No single-use plastic straws

 Sustainable sourcing

• ·       Responsible purchasing policy
• ·       Organic food and beverages
• ·       Locally sourced food and beverages
• ·       Responsibly sourced seafood
• ·       Organic cage-free eggs
• ·       Vegetarian and vegan meals
• ·       Eco-friendly toiletries

Benefits of Eco tourism 

Thera are lots of benefits from the concept of eco-tourism if it’s possible to implement it correctly. Deforestation, Air pollution, Water pollution are at the peak of the environmental pollution in Sri Lanka nowadays. Apart form that it’s better to try to implement this eco-tourism concept to protect mother land from this environmental pollution due to globalization. Sri Lakan Ecotourism foundation carried out a survey in 2009 and according to the statistics from that 80% of the tourists are arriving in Sri Lanka are not up-market tourists. Most of them are from multi-national tour packages which generate and market on the budget tour packages in west, China, India etc. They keen to spend their vacation maximum 7-14 days by travelling to mesmerized places without spending lot of money. They average spend 60-70USD per day while that up-market eco tourists spend 250-300usd per day. On the other hand, this budget travellers stick on the budget and not willing to support to local community. But these eco-tourists or free individual travellers always keen to travel to a rural area, staying in locally owned accommodation and support local village community while observing the environment. Apart from these advantages some of the other benefits are listed below:

• Protection of wildlife 
• Development of rural areas while environmental conservation 
• Creation of new jobs 
• Protection of unique tourism destinations
• Providing memorable, authentic learning experiences that engage visitors with local culture and ecology
• Able to get good understanding about endangered wildlife and climatic changes 
• Improvement of life quality for locals

Ecotourism is a valuable concept which is not much popular in Sri Lanka even though Sri Lankan has much more natural resources to promote that. Only a small percentage of tourists come to Sri Lanka for the purpose of eco-tours. So, it's important to advertise and market Sri Lankan eco-tourism, eco-tourism destinations, eco resorts, eco lodges to the world to get more attraction. But while getting attraction from worldwide tourists we should always consider about the environmental and wildlife protection while encourage eco-tourism. And this is a prominent advantage for small enterprise owners to promote tourism by protecting their biological resources. In most of the rural areas in Sri Lanka, there are small business owners who own hidden eye-catching tourist attractions but there are no chance to get promoted. So, it’s better to search for these kinds of small enterprises and do some marketing campaign to promote them. 

Eco tourism Activities in Sri Lanka 

Most of the free individual travellers who come to Sri Lanka in order to get the best ecotourism experience. So, most of the enterprises which belong to the ecotourism uses some method to promote ecotourism activities which tourists can be experienced. In Sri Lanka, these are the main ecotourism govern bodies

·       Sustainable Tourism- Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority

·       Sri Lankan Ecotourism Foundation

Their aim is to promote ecotourism, educate tourists about the experiences that they can earn and support the social and economic development in rural areas. In order to fulfill these objectives, they mainly focus on some particular areas which can attract up-market tourists to Sri Lankan Villages.

These are some of the eco-tourism activities which tourists can experienced by reducing carbon footprints while having breath taking spectacular trip. 

Ø  Ø Staying with a local family in a home stay

Able to take experience in local village home with the family members, their lifestyles, cultures. It’s not just an opportunity to see it, tourists able to live with it. Staying with village family, tourists able to immerse in the Sri Lankan traditions, preparing foods, taking river bath and traditional ayurvedic treatments etc.

Ø Trekking in natural areas

It’s all about walking through eye catching places in Sri Lanka without harming them. Jungle footpaths, picturesque railroad tracks, misty mountain plains, seeing waterfalls are some of the trekking tours that can lead tourists to unbelievable places during these eco-tours in Sri Lanka.

Ø Rain forest exploration

Visiting Sinharaja Rain Forest is one of the prominent eco-tourism activities which is done by free individual travellers in Sri Lanka. They use this walk to immerse in the nature to get some knowledge as well. As the last remaining primary tropical rain forest in Sri Lanka, tourists use this visit to involve in scientific studies, research and fieldworks as well.

Ø Rural village walks

Tourists can walk through the rural villages to get into their footsteps and see the life of village people. Morning walk through the villages make tourists mesmerized.

Ø Staying with indigenous tribe

This is all about expensing some quality time with the indigenous people in Sri Lanka called “Veddas”. Tourists able to look in to their traditions, cultures and behaviours to get some indigenous experience.

Ø Staying in eco lodges, eco resorts, eco hotels

There are plenty of eco resorts, eco lodges and eco hotels in many areas in Sri Lanka. This is kind of dramatic reunion with the mother nature in order to get luxurious simple living experience.  Tree house, mud house, under a cave or right next to a paddy field, thick forest, tea plantation or a river are next level experience for the tourists who seek for ecological experiences.

Ø Wildlife safaris

Sri Lanka is in the top five biodiversity hotspot in the world as well as prominent please in Asia. In order to watch most exotic Flora and fauna categories tourists need to experience this safari tours in Sri Lanka. This is another activity which link with the ecotourism.

Ø Bird Watching

Sri Lanka is a paradise for birds which is having 439 species including breeding, migrant, endemic birds. Birds watching is possible in most of the areas in Sri Lanka. Lagoons, marshland, national parks and river sides are the most famous for this activity.

Ø Farming and Agro tourism

Economy of Sri Lanka mainly based on the farming and Agricultural activities. Scattered reservoirs, tanks and the irrigation system link most of agricultural activities. By engaging these agricultural activities tourists able to get new experience about harvesting, plantation and able to try hands on some of the works.

Ø Cycling tours

Cycling tours are another kind of eco-tourism activity which give tourists to explore Sri Lanka. Some of the off-road cycling tours leads to mesmerizing sceneries around Sri Lanka. This is a different activity which can tourists be experienced. 

https://island.lk/promoting-ecotourism-without-depending-on-imported-fuel/

https://www.traveldailynews.asia/khiri-travel-creates-new-ecotourism-experiences-in-sri-lank

https://www.tourism-review.com/travel-tourism-magazine-challenges-of-ecotourism-in-sri-lanka-article2113

https://www.traveldailynews.asia/khiri-travel-creates-new-ecotourism-experiences-in-sri-lank

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