Amidst the ongoing economic crisis in the country, no local insurance company is willing to provide insurance coverage for those participating in adventure tourism activities.
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando stated: “Adventure tourism is a risky activity. As of right now, no insurance provider has stepped up to offer insurance coverage for adventure activities such as rafting and trekking. If this continues, we will have to get an international insurance firm to come in and see how coverage could best be provided.”
Although tourists who visit the country have travel insurance as well as health insurance, they do not necessarily cover adventure-related activities, Fernando said. Therefore, in the event of an unfortunate incident involving a tourist, the country is required to compensate the victim. If it was a Sri Lankan citizen, the compensation is likely to amount to Rs. 2-3 million, which has been the usual amount paid in the past for similar accident coverage. However, for a foreign tourist, the compensation might run into billions of dollars, the SLTDA Chair pointed out.
In 2023, from January to August, Sri Lanka received 904,318 tourists compared to last year’s 496,430 tourists who visited the country from January to August 2022. Although the country receives a considerable number of tourists, adventure tourism is a must in the country, emphasised Fernando.
“We are a bit on the back foot there until we are cleared on the insurance cover. If we are to promote (adventure tourism), we should promote it with the required safety and security in place, as simply promoting it is not enough,” Fernando said.
He also stated that while the private sector is moving forward with adventure tourism, it is the Government’s duty to ensure that it is done safely.
“Currently, the SLTDA is working on a marine tourism masterplan where marine tourism will also expand to diving, deep sea diving, and diving among shipwrecks. Therefore, at that stage Sri Lanka should possess the required insurance coverage,” Fernando noted.
