Sri Lanka Tourism’s new Destination Social Responsibility Project

Local communities are the focus of the new plan and a key objective is building community support in the development of tourism. To this end, the plan aims to link communities with tourism activities to ensure that the benefits from tourism actually contributes towards sustainable community development.

The Sri Lanka Tourist Board has unveiled plans for a new and exciting project designed to raise Sri Lanka’s profile as a destination, offering a socially and environmentally responsible tourism.

Outlining the rationale behind the ‘Sri Lanka Tourism’s Social Responsibility Service Project’, Chairman of the Tourist Board Renton de Alwis said that today’s brands needed to ensure they met the highest ethical and environmental standards to stay competitive. “The new plan is designed to bring greater numbers of socially and environmentally-aware tourists to Sri Lanka, and to enhance their holiday experience while here,” he said in a press release issued by the board.

Local communities are the focus of the new plan and a key objective is building community support in the development of tourism. To this end, the plan aims to link communities with tourism activities to ensure that the benefits from tourism actually contributes towards sustainable community development.

Visitors to Sri Lanka who are interested will be able to take part in a community service project in one of five broad areas - carbon off-setting, child welfare, animal welfare, peace education, and facilitation for the differently abled. In doing so, they will be able to have the satisfaction of being involved in a worthy cause while on holiday.

The programme is also designed to mitigate some of the negative publicity coming out of the tourist industry. “The adverse effects of tourism have often been in the spotlight – with this project, we want to show that tourism can have positive effects for the environment and on the welfare of local communities,” de Alwis said.

To achieve these objectives, the Sri Lanka Tourist Board intends creating a special trust fund with the assistance of all major stakeholders as trustees. The stakeholders will include Board of Airlines (BAR), Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO), Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL), Tour Agents Association of Sri Lanka (TAASL), Association of Small and Medium Enterprise in Tourism (ASMET), Sri Lanka in Style, Institute of Tour Guide, Lecturers, Chauffeurs Association and Tourist Shops Association, among others.

A broad and multifaceted communications strategy including an internet website, special brochures, and information boards in hotel lobbies and tourist shops will explain the plan, and highlighting tourist establishments that maintain high social and environmental standards.

Sri Lanka is uniquely placed to promote itself as an environmentally and socially responsible destination. In ancient times, its Kings prohibited hunting in vast swathes of jungle – in effect, declaring the world’s first conservation parks - and concern for social wellbeing is inextricably linked with the island’s traditional religions and cultures.

“This plan is an opportunity to highlight these extremely positive aspects of our history and culture,” said De Alwis, “and also to show that in the 21st century, Sri Lanka is serious when it comes to promoting sustainable, socially responsible development.” Ethical Tourism, according to the WTO, is a global tourism segment growing thrice as fast as the industry as a whole.