Forty six years of organised tourism in Sri Lanka (1966-2012)
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide a backdrop for the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) theme issue on tourism in Sri Lanka.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is written in the context of a strategic question: “how might post-war Sri Lanka develop inbound tourism?” A narrative approach is taken to cover a period of 46 years.
Findings
26 years of war affected tourism in Sri Lanka resulting in low demand, low prices and a reputation as a cheap destination. Turnaround came when the war ended in 2009. In 2012 Sri Lanka passed two milestones in its tourism history by emerging as a “million tourist destination” and a “billion dollar export income earner”. Sri Lanka is now aiming to attract 2.5 million tourists by 2016.
Practical implications
Tourism in Sri Lanka has the potential to emerge as a major export income earner. To further develop tourism, Sri Lanka must develop a long-term tourism master plan with inputs from all stake holders. Authors suggest that such a master plan is needed to achieve a target of 4.5 million tourist arrivals by 2024.
Originality/value
This paper learns from the past and plans for the future. A former Chairman and a former Director of the national tourism authority of Sri Lanka joined hands with an international hospitality and tourism educator to co-write this paper to advocate for a holistic plan in further development of tourism in Sri Lanka.
Keywords
Citation
Samaranayake, H.M.S., Lantra, N. and (Chandi) Jayawardena, C. (2013), "Forty six years of organised tourism in Sri Lanka (1966-2012)", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 5 No. 5, pp. 423-441. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-05-2013-0026
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited