Why Sri Lanka’s Tourism Strategies Need a Sustainability Overhaul
By Frontpage Journal | August, 2025
For over a decade, Sri Lanka has produced tourism strategies, master plans, and vision documents filled with ambitions of sustainability. These policies often promise balance between growth and preservation, community empowerment, environmental care, and international competitiveness. Yet the gap between what is written and what is experienced across the country continues to widen.
In cities like Kandy and coastal towns like Arugam Bay, the effects of unchecked growth are visible. From waste mismanagement to overcrowded heritage sites and ad-hoc infrastructure, tourism development has largely prioritized short-term volume over long-term value. Meanwhile, policies advocating for community engagement, environmental safeguards, and quality experiences remain largely aspirational.
This disconnect is not due to a lack of knowledge. Sri Lanka’s Tourism Development Authority, together with partners such as UNDP and ADB, has invested in several well-articulated frameworks. Many of these are aligned with global goals including the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement, and the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. What remains elusive is effective, consistent, and localized implementation.
One of the most striking gaps lies in enforcement. Tourism zoning, carrying capacity studies, environmental impact assessments, and waste management guidelines often exist only on paper. Large-scale hotel developments continue to rise in sensitive zones with little coordination between the tourism, environment, and cultural affairs authorities. The absence of regulatory cohesion has resulted in a fragmented sector where policy decisions rarely trickle down to site-level action.
Another persistent challenge is accountability. Unlike in countries such as Thailand or Costa Rica, where sustainability indicators are linked to tourism licensing or destination funding, Sri Lanka lacks a performance-based culture in tourism governance. Agencies work in silos, and feedback mechanisms from local stakeholders remain underutilized. Communities are often informed of decisions, but seldom involved in shaping them.
Financial investment is also uneven. While private investors pour capital into hospitality ventures, little is spent on public goods such as clean public transport for tourists, accessible cultural interpretation, or community tourism hubs. Local authorities are often left to manage large visitor volumes with insufficient budgets, training, or tools. The result is visible stress on infrastructure and increased public resentment toward tourism in some regions.
However, there is hope. The post-crisis context of 2022 to 2024 has reignited discussions about the purpose and priorities of the tourism sector. Green recovery frameworks promoted by UN agencies have started gaining attention. More importantly, travelers themselves are shifting preferences. Demand for authentic, ethical, and low-impact experiences is rising, and this trend can align with Sri Lanka’s long-term interests if properly harnessed.
The shift from policy to practice must begin with clarity of purpose. Sustainability should not be an add-on. It must be at the heart of how we define success in tourism. Metrics such as revenue per tourist, community satisfaction, biodiversity health, and site resilience must complement arrival numbers. Tourism zones should be managed with real-time data and clear boundaries. Importantly, local governments should be empowered to implement, monitor, and adapt national plans based on on-the-ground realities.
Capacity building across the industry is also critical. Tour operators, hoteliers, local government officials, and community leaders must all be equipped with practical tools to apply sustainability standards. This includes financial incentives, legal guidelines, digital platforms for data-sharing, and strong partnerships with academia and civil society.
Sri Lanka has no shortage of vision. What it needs is alignment, enforcement, and political will. The time to bridge policy and practice is now. If the island is to compete in a future shaped by responsible travel and climate risk, its tourism model must evolve from strategy to system, from paper to people.
This transformation will not be easy, but it is necessary. Only then can we truly claim that Sri Lanka is not just a beautiful place to visit, but also a country that knows how to protect what makes it special.
