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Turn to trains to bring tourism back on track: Stakeholders
View(s):With the tourism sector being dealt a near fatal blow due to the country’s economic downturn, just as it was raising its head following the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic, more needs to be done to attract visitors, say stakeholders.
Pointing out to Ella, a favourite tourist hotspot, Ella Flower Garden manager Suneth Dahanayake said one way that tourism could be given a boost was by focusing more on developing the rail tourism sector.
He pointed out that Sri Lanka depends heavily on the road network for tourism. Railway transportation which is much cheaper and reliable touches almost all important tourist destinations.
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- Ella Odyssey: Hugely popular among locals and tourists alike
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- Tourists back in Ella
“However this avenue has not been tapped to its full potential for travel needs of visitors,” he said.
The convenient, well-connected railway services will offer passengers hassle-free tours. So if more trains were added for locals and tourists it could be more efficient, he said.
Recently the Ella Odyssey–a tourist-oriented train service–has been hugely popular among locals and the tourists alike. This was an important initiative by the Sri Lanka Railway Department.
Railways Deputy Transport Director Vajira Polwattage said the department has taken steps to increase the number of trips of the Ella Odyssey.
Currently the train that runs from Thursday to Sunday, leaving Kandy at 7 a.m. reaching Demodara at 2.20 p.m. and leaving Demodara at 3.40 p.m. and reaching Kandy at 9.45 p.m.
Text and pix by Nayanananda Buwaneka
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