Agro/eco tourism is increasingly gaining ground as a socially and economically viable activity in the development process of many countries. We in Sri Lanka could also make use of this concept to focus on our future direction towards developing new, high end tourism products to cater to a niche market representing high valued responsible travellers.
Sri Lanka with its rich bio-diversity that supports agriculture/plantation and tourism in many different forms has the potential to develop agro/eco tourism as a strategic economic activity in rural areas.
As the activities are locally based, rural/farm communities would benefit in many ways; for example from improved infrastructure, capacity development of rural youth and ultimately equitable distribution of benefits of rural resources.
I believe the room occupancy rates of such resorts/villas will essentially be high with this kind of unique, high end products where the prospective foreign investors along with their local collaborators could expect higher returns for their investments.
Already some of the products in the leisure sector such as Vil Uyana in Sigiriya by Jetwing and Ceylon Tea Trails Bungalows of Forbes group utilizing a few planters bungalows belonging to Bogawantalawa Tea Estates Plc surrounding the scenic Castlereigh lake in the hills could be considered as a “benchmark” of such products.
Jayampathy Molligoda,
Chartered Accountant |
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