Airbnb signs up for authentic Sri Lankan experiences
Airbnb, the home stay revolutionary company, on Thursday signed up with Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to establish 40 new authentic experiences for the discerning traveller.
Authorities have already worked with the Airbnb officials to ensure that all home stays listed under them are properties registered with the SLTDA, SLTDA Chairman Kavan Ratnayaka told the Business Times on the sidelines of a media briefing held to sign the agreement between the two parties.
He noted that they have asked Airbnb to list properties registered with them as the law requires tourism businesses to be registered with SLTDA.
Mr. Ratnayaka believes its “exciting and sexy” for Sri Lanka to have onboard Airbnb to partner with showcasing about 40 experiences that the country has to offer.
He noted that this partnership would ensure that travellers would be assured the safety and security of staying at a location approved by authorities and visiting sites authorised by them.
Adding this concept of tourism to Sri Lanka is likely to take the industry to achieving its US$7 billion mark.
Sri Lanka is not interested in the mass market, he said pointing out that they prefer to market the authentic and diverse aspect that travel to the country could offer.
Airbnb Country Manager for India and Sri Lanka Amanpreet Bajaj said that the 40 experiences they were signing up with the authorities would enable travellers to “immerse” themselves into the day-to-day lives of the people through the magical handcrafted activities like learning surfing from an internationally qualified local, Priyal, touring the Galle Fort with a reputed photographer and learning the art of weaving from Selyn.
These experiences given to the traveller would ensure that the livelihoods of a number of people in Sri Lanka would be benefited and the traveller too would have a better view of what the country has to offer.
Telecommunications, Digital Infrastructure and Foreign Employment Minister Harin Fernando said that Airbnb’s presence in Sri Lanka and showcasing 40 places would mean Sri Lanka is being taken to the next level.
He also pointed out that Airbnb would come in handy in Ella, within his electorate of Badulla, which he says is a thriving tourism destination and predicted the place to become another Mirissa. In this respect, they were meeting up with the Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera in a bid to regularise the facilities in Ella to ensure safety for travellers to Ella.