Amazing Facts about the Tourism Industry of Sri Lanka!

If one needs to go to another country as a tourist, the quality of the tourism industry is no doubt gonna be his or her major concern in the first place. Fair enough, tourists must know about the service they would get in the countries they hope to visit. Well, as for Sri Lanka, tourism is an industry both the government and its citizens place considerable weight on. The sole intention of any Sri Lankan is surely to give any foreigner the best experience. The main goal of the tourism industry of Sri Lanka is to make any foreigner feel better than ever.

So, why should you choose Sri Lanka for your next holiday? The answer is pretty obvious. Sri Lanka is the perfect spot for you to enjoy all-natural and man made beauties at a single destination. Without question, Sri Lanka is a biodiversity hotspot. Wildlife, deep blue sea, alluring countryside are just a few of its natural luxuries. The most elusive archeological sites in the world are in Sri Lanka. The finest cultural events are in this land. The most efficient tourist guides are in Sri Lanka. Delicious cuisine, convenient transportation methods, and many more to follow in the list. What else can a tourist expect from the country he or she visits. Hence, there’s no reason for you at all not to choose Sri Lanka. The super friendly tourism industry of Sri Lanka is that brilliant.

You might want to know better about what’s so special about the tourism industry of Sri Lanka. Surely, by the time you finish reading this, you will have a complete idea.

The Transition of the Tourism Industry of Sri Lanka

It’s no secret that Sri Lanka was terribly beaten by the civil war for nearly three decades. Perhaps, even you may have heard about the unpleasant memories of that era. Anyway, the civil war is no more. In 2009, it ended. Sri Lanka became a very safe country for any tourist to visit. The country began to prosper little by little from where it was. The victims of war were rehabilitated. Step by step, its economy began to become stable. In general, Sri Lanka flourished miraculously. So did the tourism industry of Sri Lanka.

Yes, it’s natural for you to still have a doubt. Anyway, now Sri Lanka is a safe haven for tourists. When the country started its rapid development, infrastructure facilities were widely developed. Sri Lanka got a fully renovated network of highways. The hotel industry underwent a noticeable growth in a very short period of time. Hoteliers developed star class hotels to give a comfortable stay to the tourists. All the tourist attractions got fully equipped with all the modern amenities and luxuries. No surprise, all these efforts created the ideal location for any tourist whatsoever to spend an elegant vacation.

Consequently, hundreds of thousands of tourists started to come to Sri Lanka. The locals around the tourist attractions of the country also could earn their livings. That made them provide a better service to the guests. Further, as more and more foreigners began to come to Sri Lanka, the government gradually developed the amount of comforts for the foreigners. The number of tourists visiting the country remained ascendant. Ultimately, the tourism industry of Sri Lanka has become what it is. As you know, Sri Lanka is a land like no other. Moreover, its tourism industry is also a super friendly industry like no other.

Tourism as an industry in Sri Lanka

However, tourism is now an established industry. Of course you know what it means. Those who run the industry and those who get the service both parties surely do have to benefit. It’s as simple as that. Well, there’s no difference even with regard to the tourism industry of the country. Increasingly higher numbers of tourist arrivals to the country clearly has a big impact on the economy of Sri Lanka. The more you enjoy, the more economically stabilized the country would be.

Difficult situations of an industry can be results of the shortcomings of the service provider. However, there’s hardly any chance for you to worry about that. Anybody who has experienced the super friendly tourism industry of Sri Lanka would bear testimony to that. It would only thrive. So, it can widen the facilities and luxuries that you would get. There will be more and more hotels. There will be more and more parks, more and more resorts, and more and more cultural events. As a result, as you would probably know the tourism industry of Sri Lanka would be on the rise continuously.

Well, how can any person know if an industry is growing or falling? We can have different criteria, can’t we? Of course, we can assess the profitability of the industry. We can assess the number of customers getting the service. Going beyond, we can even get reviews of customers about the service. Whatever way it might be, the tourism industry of Sri Lanka has showcased positive remarks in all ways. What can be the secret behind all this? Can you make a guess? Well, it’s never gonna be a single factor. It’s a combination of so many factors. No doubt you would love to know all those. Don’t worry. Go ahead reading.

Assets of Sri Lanka’s Tourism Industry

Anyone can understand that the success of any industry is based on its assets. What are the assets of the tourism industry in Sri Lanka? To start with, let’s get a basic idea.

1. The unique hospitality of Sri Lankans
2. Splendid beaches
3. Most loved climate
4. Diverse wildlife
5. Archeological sites
6. The cultural heritage of the country
7. Ease of transportation
8. Affordability

Of course, they are assets beyond words. Now, knowing what they are, let us get to know them in detail. Here we go!

1. The unique hospitality of Sri Lankans

It is not new to you at all that Sri Lankans are very hospitable. The receptive and open-minded nature of Sri Lankans is very famous among all parts of the world. Any person arriving in the country would definitely regard Sri Lanka as a very humble nation with beautiful hearts. Well, this is apparently a reason to attract a lot of foreigners to the country. It may have become a reason for the tourism industry of Sri Lanka to achieve great heights. Yet, it is not something that Sri Lankans do for financial benefits. You would not be surprised even if I mention that Sri Lankans have got that in their blood; in their genes.

From the ancient past, the world knew Sri Lanka as a hospitable country. If you have read ‘An Historical Relation of the Island of Ceylon’ by Robert Know who happened to be an English trader and sailor, you would surely know that even he emphasizes the fact that Sri Lankans are immensely hospitable. Further, there are so many other resources that tell you about how hospitable Sri Lankans are.

You travel to Sri Lanka with a travel agent or all by yourself, it does not matter. You will be able to see for yourself how generous Sri Lankans are. Perhaps a Sri Lankan might invite you for lunch or dinner. Even during the Covid 19 pandemic period, the foreigners who were stuck in Sri Lanka unable to return to their home countries were cared for by the Sri Lankans. The extra step surely was not for money. It was the intuitive generosity and the amiability of the Sri Lankans.

2. Splendid beaches

If you are a traveller, you might perhaps know that tourists mostly get attracted to the three ‘S’s  in the industry. They are the Sun, Sand and the Sea. Infact, Sri Lanka has got those three ‘S’s. The splendid and enthralling beaches in the country would give you an unforgettable experience for you to reminisce even in the future. No doubt the deep blue sea in Sri Lanka is gonna be one of your favorites.

What’s so special about a beach on this tropical island? Primarily, the main significance is that Sri Lanka’s beaches are undoubtedly some of the most attractive beaches in the world. Further, there are lots and lots of things for you to do in the golden shore of this country. If you are interested in whale watching or dolphin watching, Sri Lanka is the ideal spot. If you are keen on snorkeling, surfing or scuba diving, the Sri Lankan coastline is yet the best destination. Another speciality about Sri Lankan beaches, is that you find a lot of hotels in very close proximity to the beaches. So, it’s your choice to select one based on your budget.

However, you might still want to know as to what the best beaches of this island are. You can find some of them below.

  Popular Beaches in Sri Lanka

• Arugam Bay Beach: Arugam Bay is simply one of the most picturesque beaches in Sri Lanka. It is in the East coast of Sri Lanka, and has perfect waves for a number of water activities.
• Bentota Beach: This is an ideal shore for a perfect weekend getaway, owing to the resort complex nestled along its coast. Moreover, may choose it as a location to enjoy an evening, relax and soothe themselves.
• Kalpitiya Beach: Lying on the Northern west coast, Kalpitiya beach is yet another marvel of Sri Lankan coast. Further, it is an ideal spot for dolphin and whale watching. 
• Hikkaduwa Beach: Hikkaduwa beach, also known as ‘Hikka’ shores, is a sand stretch that lies upon the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Its waves are perfect for many water activities, and it is also popular for the mindblowing underwater ecosystem it houses.
• Mirissa Beach: This is certainly a magical paradise for beach lovers. It is one of the famous spots for water activities in Sri Lanka, and its splendid views make visitors gape in wonder.

Anyway, if you still need more facts about the most beautiful beaches in Sri Lanka, you can get to know about all that lengthily through our article. Without question you can tour Sri Lanka and see for yourself the scenic beauty of these beaches and the ecstasy you would feel. It would definitely be one hell of a visit for certain.

3. Most loved climate

Another important fact that is so unique and significant about Sri Lanka is its most loved climate. If you live in a cold country, you would love a warm climate. Likewise, if you live in a warm country, you would love a much colder climate. Whatever your choice is, Sri Lanka has an average climate in general, so you would surely love this better than any extreme. Anyway, if you still want to experience a pretty cold or pretty warm climate, you get that golden opportunity on the Sri Lankan soil.

The coastal areas of the country have an average temperature of around 30 degrees celsius throughout the year. The central highlands of the country has an average temperature just above 20 degrees celsius. If your choice is a much warmer climate, you’d get to experience a climate above 30 degrees celsius especially in the Northern and Easern parts of the country. However, we’d recommend a journey in a train from Colombo to Badulla. It allows you to see how the climate pattern changes so rapidly within the country. Moreover, it would surely be an experience through which you can feel most of the climate patterns in the world.

So, it is surely an experience that you can hardly have in any country in the world except for Sri Lanka. Its climate changes so rapidly within a very short distance. More or less, a two-hour drive can give you a totally different but magical climate on this island. Is it a miracle? It could be miraculous, but it’s real. ‘How does it happen?’ might be the question that you have at the tip of your tongue. If you are interested in knowing about all that just read about how the climate of Sri Lanka changes in a two-hour drive.

4. Diverse wildlife

Unarguably, Sri Lanka is one of the best biodiversity hotspots in the world. This comparatively small island is blessed with a vast amount of natural wonders. The amazing wildlife is yet another. Both the trees and animal species add color to this regard. There are so many species endemic to Sri Lanka in its forest reserves. Further, the vast sea around the country houses a lot of marine species as well. With this blend of diverse wildlife, Sri Lanka has become a land to enjoy the premium bliss of wildlife.

If you are a wildlife lover, you will be interested to know if safari parks are available in Sri Lanka. The answer is yes. There are such opportunities on this land. If you have a keen interest in photography, you can have a lot of elegant captures. It would surely give you an opportunity to capture the best wildlife moments that you can ever even dream of.

Furthermore, Sri Lanka is the perfect spot for you if you are a bird lover. The bird sanctuary in Kumana would probably give you the best possible experience to overwhelm your eyes with glorious views of birds in Sri Lanka. It would also be a deluxe delight for you if you are a photographer. If your interest is in marine creatures the ideal hotspot for you is the Hikkaduwa National Park. Besides, there are many more wildlife hotspots in Sri Lanka. You can find some of them below.

Wildlife hotspots in Sri Lanka

• Sinharaja Rainforest: Undoubtedly, Sinhara Rainforest is the most remarkable biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It houses a vast range of endemic species, and owing to its remarkable significance, it was also declared as a UNESCO world heritage site years back.  
• Horton Plains: It is simply a wonder of nature, that houses a great number of endemic species and fauna. UNESCO declared it as a world heritage site as well, and it is also popular as a hiking spot with breathtaking views.
• Yala National Park: Yala National Park is the second largest national park in Sri Lanka. It is well known as a site to spot a good number of leopards, tuskers, and Asian elephants.
• Minneriya National Park: Nature, pairing with history, has made Minneriya National Park one of the popular national parks on the island of Sri Lanka. It is based on the ancient Minneriya tank, and is a perfect destination to spot an extensive range of wild animals.
• Kaudulla National Park: This is one of the most significant locations to observe the amazing birdlife in Sri Lanka. With the Kaudulla tank in the vicinity, it creates splendid views, and also attracts herds of elephants, further enhancing its significance. 

You can pre book your safari at each of the above mentioned national parks in Sri Lanka, and enjoy a thrill filled safari ride. If you want to know even more about Sri Lanka’s wildlife and its hotspots, you have the chance to read all about that in detail.

5. Archeological, cultural and religious sites

Archeological, cultural and religious sites play a major role in the tourism industry of Sri Lanka. The archeological and cultural elegance of Sri Lanka would surely fascinate and impress any tourist visiting Sri Lanka. In the course of history Sri Lanka had had its own civilizations. Moreover, there were different kingdoms in the country from time to time. As a result, Sri Lanka possesses plenty of archeological sites at present. Those include ruins of royal palaces, ancient and religious monuments. Surprisingly, some of them still stand in awe in perfect shape showcasing the quality of technology used in this country. If you are a history lover, Sri Lanka is certainly a country that you must definitely visit. Its prestigious ancient monuments would amuse you.

Infact, Sigiriya, the ancient rock fortress that some regard as the 8th wonder of the world is indeed so rich with engineering technologies. Some of its technologies have even puzzled modern engineers as to how such advanced technologies have existed ages ago. Perhaps you may have heard of the story of the Maduru Oya dam. Having done many feasibility studies, modern engineers sorted out a suitable place for the dam of the Maduru Oya reservoir. When they started the constructions, they discovered  the ruins of an ancient dam built on the very place they selected after doing a lot of research.

Regarding archeology in Sri Lanka, one can go on talking about all these for hours and hours. In brief, you may surely have heard about the best sites in the country. Just check whether you know the following archeological, cultural and religious sites in Sri Lanka as well!

Archeological sites in Sri Lanka

• Sacred city of Anuradhapura: This ancient city is indeed a paradise to explore the ancient splendours of Sri Lanka. It houses a good collection of ruins, sculptures, monuments and religious places, and owing to their significance UNESCO declared this city as a world heritage site.
• Elegant city of Kandy: The ancient grandeur, spiritual significance coupled with its charming atmosphere has made Kandy one of the main tourist attractions. The temple of the tooth relic is the main highlight of this sacred city. Besides, it also houses a number of cultural and religious sites that showcase the Sri Lankan heritage.
• Ancient city of Polonnaruwa: City of Polonnaruwa is a majestic city to explore, which features a range of ancient monuments, and sites with Buddhist and Hindu shades. Considering its value, UNESCO declared this city as a world heritage site years back.    
• Dambulla Cave Temple: Indeed, this is the best preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka. It houses  5 caves, with amazing arts, valuable statues, and monuments.

In addition, there are sites like Belilena cave, Kurullangala cave and Pahiyangala cave especially if you are a scholar interested in prehistory. Just check our article on ‘Cultural and Religious attractions in Sri Lanka’ to get to know more about these attractions. Of course, they will surprise you with their grandeurs.    

6. Cultural heritage of the country

Sri Lanka has a very long history. Also, it’s got people from many races and many religions in the country. Hence, Sri Lanka is a country that has got a unique cultural heritage that even any traveller like you can enjoy if you are in Sri Lanka at the right time. The majority of Sri Lankans are Sinhala Buddhists, but there are many ethnic groups in the country. There is a considerable amount of Tamils and Muslims also in the country. Thus, Buddhism, Catholisism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam are mainly practiced in Sri Lanka.

As a result, there are plenty of diverse cultural events enriched with both beauty and rituals. Esala Perahera Festival is one of its outstanding cultural events that attracts the tourists most. It would be a one and only experience to get the chance to witness the Esala Perahera Festival for any foreigner. If you hope to visit Sri Lanka and if you are a person who is so fond of getting to know the cultures in the world, we would recommend you to enjoy the beauty and elegance of the Esala Perahera Festival as a priority if you come around July and August. Going beyond, Sri Lanka never lacks the amusement of festivals all throughout the year. Excited to know about some more? Below are some other amazing festivals in Sri Lanka.   

Wonderful festivals in Sri Lanka

• Thaipongal Festival: This is one of the colourful festivals of Hindus, that falls in mid January each year.  It is famous as a celebration of honour, that takes place after receiving the first harvest. 
• Sinhala and Tamil New Year: Both Sinhala and Hindu Sri Lankans, celebrate this festival with much joy in the mid April. It showcases the Sri Lankan traditions at its extreme, and its celebrations last for nearly two weeks.    
• Vesak Festival: This is the most important festival of Buddhsist in Sri Lanka. They celebrate it on the full moon payday in the month of May. Moreover, they commemorate Lord Budhdha’s birth, enlightenment, and parinibbana through this festival.
• Ramadan Festval: Ramadan is celebrated by the Muslims all over Sri Lanka. It is a joyful celebration that marks the end of their Ramadan month, in which they fast daily. 
• Christmas Festival: Catholics and Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25th each year. It is a delightful season for the whole country, with the fascination of colourful decorations and illuminations.

Believe us! This is just a glimpse of a few of the festivals in Sri Lanka. Of course, there is a lot more.  Just visit Sri Lanka during any other period of time, and you have nothing to worry about! The amiable Sri Lankans would even love to share what they specially prepare for these festivals for you. Certainly, various sweets would be among them. After all, if you further want to broaden your knowledge about the amazing festivals in Sri Lanka, you can read more about it through this article.

7. Ease of transportation

Sri Lanka being a very small country, accessing any tourist destination would be pretty easy whatever the way you choose. If you choose to visit Sri Lanka with a travel agent you will not have to worry about transportation at all. They will provide you the needful for sure. So, accommodation, transportation, planning wouldn’t bother you. Yet, if you are a solo traveller, or you guys come to Sri Lanka on your own, well, you will have to consider the transportation facilities available in Sri Lanka. Primarily, even if you come to Sri Lanka on your own, you have a lot of choices for transportation.

With regard to public transportation, you have freedom to choose mainly either buses or trains to travel to distant destinations. When you have reached your main destination, you get the ability to hire a scooter or a tuk tuk to travel within your destination. Anyway, sometimes you might feel that the public transportation service needs to be a little more efficient. Besides, if you travel for pleasure, taking a little more time wouldn’t possibly be a problem for you. To be specific, a train journey would take some time. Yet, it gives you the opportunity, especially if it’s a railway journey, to enjoy the beauty of the surroundings.

Nevertheless, in general, transportation in Sri Lanka is convenient. On the contrary, we would recommend you to be vigilant about your charge for  the journey before boarding. This wouldn’t matter if you opt for public transportation methods. But it would be much better to do this when you go for other methods of transportation like hiring tuk tuks. You can read more about the transportation of Sri Lanka if you are interested.

8. Affordability

Another good thing about Sri Lanka you would like to hear about is that most of its services are highly affordable. If you have enough cash to spare, we don’t resist you choosing star class hotels. But if you are a middle class traveller, affordability can be among your concerns. Then you should read this.

Basically, most of the items and commodities are not expensive in Sri Lanka. So, if you want to buy something for you especially if you want to buy a souvenir or something of that sort you can purchase them at affordable prices. Moreover, transportation within the country is also cheap. So, you do not have to worry about your expenses when travelling within the country. Sri Lanka has got a variety of delicious food items. You might have a doubt if food in Sri Lanka is expensive. No, it’s not. In most tourist destinations, you get the chance to purchase the food items you need at reasonable prices.

If you are concerned about your budget, it isn’t wise to choose luxury hotels for accommodation. You can enjoy a homestay. It would perhaps be a nicer experience for you to enjoy a homestay. As you know, Sri Lankan people are very friendly; so, you can spend your night at a villa or a bungalow. You will receive delicious cuisine and will supply all of your needs. After all, why spend a very big amount of money just to spend the night when you need money to have fun during the day time. Anyway, Sri Lanka offers you a wide range of choices. You get a lot of highly affordable packages with a lot of features that you can give a shot at. Of course, Sri Lanka is a budget-friendly backpacking destination after all.

The impact of the Tourism Industry on the country

The tourism industry of Sri Lanka is one of the country’s fastest growing industries. Even in the world, the tourism industry accumulated in high scales during the last few decades. Anyway, as for Sri Lanka, it took massive steps for its development following the end of the brutal civil war.

There are many sectors within the country that the tourism industry has influenced. Some of them are as follows. Perhaps you might like to know about everything deeply. Go ahead!

1. Impact of the Tourism Industry on the economy of Sri Lanka
2. The social influence of the Sri Lankan Tourism Industry
3. The influence of the Tourism Industry on the culture of Sri Lanka
4. How the Sri Lankan Tourism Industry has affected its environment

1. Impact of the Tourism Industry on the economy of Sri Lanka

It doesn’t matter whether a country is developed or not. Irrespective of any country’s economic status, each of those countries need industries and incomes. When a country is badly in need of economic stability it has two major paths; to enhance the productions of the country while deducting the number of imports and to proceed through ways that the country can earn foreign exchange. Prior to scrutinizing the impact of the Tourism Industry of Sri Lanka on its economy, you would perhaps like to know the current economic status of the country.

How strong is Sri Lanka’s economy?

Sri Lankan is currently not a country that has a very strong economy in the region. It is yet a developing country and it obviously needs foreign exchange to stabilize its economy. Sri Lankan economy had to stagnate during the civil war as its government had to spend a lot of expenses in that regard. Further, a lot of Sri Lanka’s wealth had to be spared on the grounds of infrastructure development and rehabilitation projects during the post-war period. As a matter of fact, now its economic prosperity is reviving gradually.

The main sectors of Sri Lanka’s economy other than the tourism industry are of exports. And most of the exports garments. There are plants such as tea that are grown in large scales for export. ‘Ceylon Tea’ can’t be new to you. It’s renowned for its premium quality all around the world. Also, many value added products are among the exports.

Although there are many items in the exports list, Sri Lanka still has to import many items. Locals say that corruption has affected its development. Anyway, Sri Lanka has become a maze of debts in a way. But its anticipation to stabilize its economy remains the same. Currently, the government encourages small and medium scale entrepreneurs to broaden their businesses and go for a better production. It has got interest free loans for such entrepreneurs as well. Most of the exported commodities are possible productions for the country. Hence, the government’s policy is to reduce the amount of imports and to promote the productions of day to day commodities in the country itself. Now, let’s take a look at how the tourism industry helps its economy.

How the Tourism Industry of Sri Lanka uplifts the country’s economy

Simply, the tourism industry of Sri Lanka has a massive impact on the economy of Sri Lanka. Other than earning foreign exchange from exports and foreign occupations, the tourism industry is the main way of earning foreign currency for the country. In fact, when tourists started to come to Sri Lanka in plenty, small businessmen could earn their livings. Hoteliers could become successful in their trade. In general, even the government could help the economic crisis of the country through the profits made from the industry.

In 2012, the tourism industry was in fifth place in modes of foreign currency incomes of Sri Lanka. Following that, in the very next year, in 2013, it was in third place. Likewise, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry remained flourishing.

The main reason for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry to broaden is the vast amount of tourist attractions of the country. It could be for a natural attraction or an archeological site. Those didn’t need any specific investment for the tourism industry to accumulate in those areas. All that the government had to do was to develop the infrastructure facilities in the area and encourage the businessmen and hoteliers to keep the tourists coming. Hence, as you can see, with a minimum amount of expenditures, the country can earn a reasonable profit from the tourism industry. All the same, it diversified the economy of Sri Lanka upto a certain extent. Thus, it was not merely a tourist coming to the country that made Sri Lanka earn money. It created a lot of other sub industries with which Sri Lanka could make more profits in other different ways.

How the Tourism Industry of Sri Lanka created a lot of job opportunities

As you know, any industry needs human resources. And the development of such an industry means that the industry needs more people to work. Sri Lanka’s unemployment rate is quite high. Thanks to the growth of the tourism industry of Sri Lanka, it could solve this vital issue upto a certain extent. Apparently, it could generate a lot of job opportunities. Some of them were directly related to the tourism industry whereas some of the job opportunities were created as side impacts of the tourism industry. However, this also helped the then jobless community to lead a better and an employed life.

Have you even for a moment pondered as to how other job opportunities that didn’t have a direct relationship with the tourism industry were created  as a result of the industry’s development? Maybe you would probably like to know. Well, it is not just a tourist coming to the country and he or she going to a tourist destination. There should be places such as hotels, and villas to provide accommodation. There should be means of transportation. Moreover, even hotels need more chefs for the supply of foods. Small scale businessmen who live around the tourist attractions got the ability to sell items like sweets and ornaments. Just think how many job opportunities the tourism industry can create?

2. The social influence of the Sri Lankan Tourism Industry

It’s not only on Sri Lanka’s economy that the tourism industry has an impact on, but also, it has an impact on the society of Sri Lanka. The development of the industry strongly affected the lifestyle of those who reside by the popular tourist attractions of the country. They got the opportunity to start small scale businesses targeting the tourists. Infact, some started to provide accommodation to tourists in their own homes, expanding and modifying them. So, they got used to living with another family or person providing all the facilities they needed.

 When there happened to be so many tourists and foreigners, they had to get used to a new culture to live on. Previously, there was hardly any outsider in their hometowns. But, eventually they had to live amid a lot of strangers in their own villages and towns. You’d know that they didn’t treat it as a burden. All of them tried their level best to cooperate with the tourists arriving at their villages. They always tried to be friendly and say ‘hello’ to such tourists even despite communication problems. Many people in Sri Lanka have a good knowledge to handle English, though.

On the other hand, any tourist arriving would perhaps ask something about some place or other from any person he or she sees in that particular place. So, all the villagers in general had to get exposed to the new situation. And frankly they got used to it. Unquestionably, they started to like the new life.

Anyway, you must be wondering if the other parts of the country remained the same. As a matter of fact, almost every part of the country changed. In other parts, hotels were constructed and even through that, the social practices of the people got updated.

3. The influence of the Tourism Industry on the culture of Sri Lanka

It’s no secret that Sri Lanka is home to different ethnic communities. The development of the tourism industry of Sri Lanka had an influence on the culture of Sri Lanka as well. Without question, the people living around the tourist attractions had to follow a brand new culture. They preserved their traditions. Meanwhile, they embraced a new culture in which life is spent with foreigners from different countries.

Even in the entire country, there were influences on social aspects. For instance, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations come with a bunch of new year games. Usually, locals enjoy the games in New Year Festivals. With the development of the tourism industry of Sri Lanka, New Year festivals are organized specifically targeting the foreigners who are in the country at that time. If you want to experience such delights, make sure you come to Sri Lanka around April, a period of time the entire country rejoices and celebrates out of happiness.

Similarly, with the arrival of a lot of foreigners to the country, even some of the locals started to follow some practices of the foreigners’ cultures. For example, the local boys and girls started to follow the dress patterns of foreigners. They got used to the fashion trends popular among the tourists.

In addition, the tourism industry became a bridge to build up new relationships and friendships. Usually, locals became friends with tourists. However, if you are in Sri Lanka, you’d never feel that you are surrounded by strangers. You’d feel that you are surrounded by some good old friends of yours. Sri Lankan people are that friendly. Nowadays, as technology is developed, those friendships usually don’t shatter. They become permanent friendships mainly through social media platforms. There could even be life long friendships built like that. Who knows?

4. How the Sri Lankan tourism industry has affected its environment

You all know that with the advancement of technologies, people tend to work with machinery more than with humans. So, in common, most people in the world have forgotten that we must preserve nature to make sure that we survive. The situation is very alike in Sri Lanka. With the establishment of various industries, major issues like deforestation and its adverse repercussions emanate. But how does the tourism industry affect Sri Lanka’s environment?

Basically, hoteliers have to construct new hotels. So, new constructions mean clearance of natural environments. Anyway, one cannot say that the tourism industry brings about this deforestation. If the land were not used for a hotel, it would be used to construct some other building for some other purpose. Hence, nobody can say that the tourism industry itself brings about that destruction.

But when more and more tourists arrive at tourist attractions, those places usually get polluted. So, there must be a specialized crew to regularly do the cleaning work. Anyway, it becomes a little impractical when it comes to the country’s coastline. It runs endlessly. How can you possibly have a group to clean all the areas. So, one small request of the Sri Lankans from all the tourists is to keep the places keep the places clean and tidy

On the other hand, there is something good for nature thanks to the country’s tourism industry. It is that as many of the tourists are trying to keep the places tidy, other people also learn to follow the good practice. Ultimately, many of the tourists tend not to pollute the places.

International recognition for the Sri Lanka’ s Tourism Industry

Obviously, Sri Lanka has received a lot of international recognition as one of the best tourist destinations in the world. Curious to know what they are? Let’s take a quick look at them.

‘Lonely Planet’ named Sri Lanka as the best travel destination in 2019. ‘USA Today’ claimed Sri Lanka as the best warm weather destination. Further, Conde Nast Traveller Middle East featured Sri Lanka as one among the top destinations to travel in February 2020. Moreover, CNN named Sri Lanka as one of the 20 best places to visit in 2020. There are even more. Sri Lanka is one of the top destinations in the Travel Lemming Reader awards in 2019. And BBC Good Food team featured Sri Lanka as the No. 1 trending cuisine in 2019 on their wish list. Even more ! Asian Mirror claimed Sri Lanka the top Global Safety Destination for women travelers in 2018 and Sri Lanka was voted as the top destination in Asia for 2019  by travel influencers of Travel Lemming.

Bottom line

By now, you may have everything sorted out! You know all that you need to know as a traveler about the tourism industry of Sri Lanka. You know what a magical paradise Sri Lanka is. Going beyond, you know how beautiful Sri Lankans are. So, why not travel to Sri Lanka and enjoy what it has to offer? Of course, Sri Lanka is waiting to welcome you with the best and most delightful surprises that you can ever imagine. So, indeed, it is high time for you to experience the wonders of Sri Lanka, simply because a trip to Sri Lanka is certainly a lifetime experience. So, hoping that you will plan your trip to Sri Lanka very soon, and wishing you a safe and delightful journey on this splendid island!