The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), together with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is scheduled to launch the Marine Tourism Master Plan in August.
The road map anticipates attracting high-end tourism to the country while simultaneously ensuring the safety of the aquatic ecosystem, The Sunday Morning Business learns.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, SLTDA Director – Tourism Planning, Development, and Investor Relations Dr. Prasad Jayasuriya said: “The scope of the entire Marine Tourism Master Plan project is to provide guidance to the Government, SLTDA, and other stakeholders on how they can best develop marine tourism through zonation and identify key infrastructure development requirements.
“Moreover, the road map will also aid in identifying available high-end tourism product opportunities.”
Elaborating on the goals of this initiative, he added that the marine tourism plan intended to identify and offer unique market products and linkages, while also evaluating their user-friendliness. Moreover, the plan indicates short-term, medium-term, and long-term action points for implementation.
According to Dr. Jayasuriya, the SLTDA had commenced work on the Marine Tourism Road Map in March 2023. Despite attending many sessions organised by various organisations such as the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in relation to marine tourism, such programmes had been repetitive, he noted.
Therefore, the SLTDA created a steering committee comprising both public and private entities. As the second step, the SLTDA requested the ADB for assistance with an international consultant with exposure to and knowledge of the marine tourism sector.
Dr. Jayasuriya pointed out that the final road map had been created with ADB consultancy, alongside the assistance of the steering committee and other stakeholders. However, he noted that the SLTDA was hoping to initially play the role of a facilitator and ensure that the tourism benefits were achieved through the road map.
Furthermore, the SLTDA has requested the ADB for assistance with certain short-term action points. Although the ADB’s initial commitment was to develop the road map, discussions are ongoing on how to obtain assistance as well.
Moreover, the objective of the Marine Tourism Road Map is to develop and unlock the maximum potential of Sri Lanka’s entire coastal area starting from Kalpitiya, Galle, Trincomalee, Mannar, Jaffna, and the northeast region.
According to Asia Pacific Boating, in January, former Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando had stated that Sri Lanka aimed to become a premier marine tourism destination in 2024.
Sri Lanka’s territorial waters cover 21,500 sq km and its exclusive economic zone covers 517,000 sq km – almost eight times the country’s land area. Coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangrove forests, lagoons, beaches, salt marshes, and estuaries are just a few of the natural resources and ecosystems found in its coastal and marine environment.
