Featured Destination: Sri Lanka
SRI LANKA’S GREAT RESET Sri Lanka’s lush rainforest
Sri Lanka has the opportunity to turn its worst postindependence economic and political crisis into a global example for normalising conscious consumption and establishing a climate-forward business environment. We caught up with tourism advisor and Sri Lankan local, Chalana Perera, the Founder of RETRACE Hospitality, for this special report. Despite Sri Lanka making global headlines for mass protests and an ailing economy, it recorded nearly half a million foreign arrivals in the first seven months of 2022. Contrary to media sensationalism, the island remains open and safe for travellers.
Low Season Traveller
While remaining safe and inviting of tourists, Sri Lanka still battles multiple crises. Corruption, gross negligence, and incompetence through successive governments has led the once prosperous nation to bankruptcy. This translates to severe shortages of imported “essentials” such as fossil fuels to fuel powerplants and transportation, imported food, medicines and other “essentials” such as paper and books for schools.
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Some Sri Lankans, however, are advocating for a much needed conscious awakening. They recognize the crisis and hardships as a much-needed wake-up call to redirect the debt-ridden path of a once booming economy. Why has a nation rich with renewable energy sources become so dependent on fossil fuels? Why import food to a fertile tropical island? Why order processed paper when there are digital and sustainable methods of teaching? The answer lies in conscious consumption and a more regenerative economy.
Chalana suggests that Sri Lanka’s tourism sector (reflective of much of the island’s wider economy) faces a timely and brilliant opportunity to embrace regenerative models and circular practices that ensure long-term financial gains are aligned with gains for people and the planet. In the case of tourism specifically, Chalana believes that industry veterans in Sri Lanka must “right much of the wrong that Sri Lanka tourism has been built upon since Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in 2009”. There was a boom in tourism development, and now a bust in the economy. Issues like waste management, water treatment, pollution, wildlife park and resource management, illegal construction, corruption, carrying capacity and guest experience management have to be addressed by the crisishit tourism industry. Chalana never valued the idea of “building concrete resorts with imported, extractive materials.” He is somewhat critical of the development of “internationally branded sky-scrapers dotting the once pristine coastline.” “Why would I want to stay in a skyscraper or concrete block on a palm-fringed beach?” he asks, challenging some in the industry. Such resorts incur massive development costs, and are often built on borrowed money with imported raw materials. Chalana suggests large buffets, multiple swimming pools and thousands of air-conditioned rooms are a strain on resources and the environment. They also reflect outdated tourism products that are easily experienced and replicated worldwide. “When I travel long-haul, I don’t particularly want to stay at an internationally branded, concrete resort behind high walls, served by people in stiff uniforms and welcomed by
