Tourists make beeline to SL for tattoos
Yasheera Dias
Sri Lankan tattoo artists have raised the bar in the local tourism industry, attracting travellers specifically for this purpose. Visitors, mostly Europeans and Asians are making a beeline to Sri Lanka to get a tattoo done because it’s cheaper than other countries. Recently the Business Times came across a tourist from Paris in France who got his tattoo done at one of the popular tattoo studios in Mount Lavinia. The visitor said that he came to Sri Lanka with the intention of getting a tattoo done after contacting the artists and sending them the image online. He was planning to spend Rs. 100,000 but was surprised when he was asked only Rs. 25,000.
“I didn’t know that getting a tattoo is very cheap in Sri Lanka compared to other countries like in Italy or France where I come from. I have seen and heard many tourists visit Sri Lanka to get a tattoo done here. The ink and equipment the artist used are similar to what they use in France,” he added. A few other well-known tattoo artists in Sri Lanka were of the same view about the growing demand for tattoos amongst foreigners. A telephone interview with one of the well-known brothers in the tattoo industry, Nirmal Dias and Yasheera Rangana Dias who own the famous ‘Tattoo Paradise’ and ‘Tattoo Ceylon’ in Mount Lavinia, provided a lot of information on the tattoo industry in Sri Lanka.
Dimmu Fernando
Yasheera Rangana Dias, Proprietor of Tattoo Ceylon who has been in the industry for four years said that tattooing is a niche industry the country needs to address to attract more foreign tourists visiting Sri Lanka. While Sri Lankans also do get tattoos done, more foreign tourists have been visiting Sri Lanka with the whole intention of experiencing the industry during recent times. “More Europeans and Asians have started to come to Sri Lanka to get a tattoo done here,” he noted while adding that it’s cheap in Sri Lanka compared to countries in Europe and elsewhere. Mr. Yasheera also mentioned that today most artists in Sri Lanka use equipment and inks to be in line with standards in other countries.
“We import all our inks and equipment from the US and Europe to match the standard and quality of tattoo in foreign countries. Black is the most used ink for tattooing while it becomes green for Sri Lankans due to the skin colour and it appears perfect black for white skin,” he added. Dimmu Fernando, Proprietor of Dimmu Fernando Tattoo Art Studio in Ja-Ela also told the Business Times, “Sri Lanka has a strong and rich cultural aspect. Tattooing is an artistic talent and skill that brings to the attention of foreigners to explore and experience the Sri Lankan tattoo market.” Foreigners visit all other places in Sri Lanka and at the end of their journey before departure, they get a tattoo done so that it doesn’t get exposed to sunlight,” noted Mr. Fernando.