News
Foreigners to cough up more to climb Adam’s Peak, enter wild life parks
View(s):Foreigners will have to pay a fee to climb Adam’s Peak (Siripada) under a new plan to be implemented shortly in order to improve facilities for visitors to the sacred site. Locals will however be exempted from buying a ticket, Wildlife Conservation Minister Wijithamuni Zoysa said. Cabinet approval has been granted for his proposal.
The Minister said the monies collected from ticket sales will be used to improve facilities for visitors including putting up more toilets along the climb of nearly 2300 metres as well as providing drinking water facilities and better eateries along the path to Siripada. The ticket will be priced at US $ 20 for adults and US $ 5 for children while the date of implementation of the plan will be announced shortly, he said.
The ticket prices for foreigners to enter national wild life parks too will be increased shortly, he said. The Minister said that with the price hike, people will be provided improved facilities such as better bungalow facilities and vehicles, at the wild life parks. “The rates have remained unchanged for many years and the proposed rates are in keeping with present day prices,” he said.