Sri Lanka

Presidential Election Update – 18.11.2019 Presidential Election on 16th of November is one of most peaceful elections in Sri Lanka. Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksha was selected as the president of Sri Lanka with 52.3 % clear mandate from Sri Lankans.  Sri Lanka is moving towards an Election Period. It is announced that presidential election to be held on 16th of November 2019. This is going to be the nationwide most competitive election. However, this is going to be the start of a wave of elections. Waves of Elections Presidential election is the most decisive election in Sri Lanka. Since the president has executive powers ( They were substantially reduced by reforms) whatever the party wins the presidency has more power to control the country. Especially there is more possibility to win the parliamentary election (2nd biggest) when a new president was elected from an election. All most all the candidates in 2019 are freshers and the party will have the best opportunity to win the elections to come. READ – Tour Operators & Travel Agents in Sri Lanka How the Sri Lankan Election System Works If you are interested in knowing about the election system and how the public reacts during them, you can read this part or else you can skip to the next section.   There are 4 major elections are taking place in Sri Lanka. Presidential Election Parliamentary Election Provincial Council Elections Local Authority Members’ Election (Please refer https://elections.gov.lk/web/en/ for more) President of Sri Lanka The Sri Lankan president has executive powers in decision-making. Even though the 20th amendment to the constitution has substantially controlled the power, still the president has the authority to appoint commanders three forces, a solicitor general, and secretaries to the ministries. Therefore the election to select the president is the most decisive political event in Sri Lanka.   Presidential Election is held every 4-5 years in Sri Lanka. Parliament Sri Lanka’s parliament has 225 seats. Out of 225 seats, 196 members will be selected from the general election in 22 electoral districts of Sri Lanka. Balance 29 members are allocated proportionally for each party based on the number of votes they get from the election and the parties can appoint an independent person as a member of the parliament. The current parliament needs to be resolved on or before August 2020. However, since none of the parties have parliamentary majority seats, it is most likely to dissolve the parliament very soon after finishing the presidential election in November 2019. Provincial Council Sri Lanka has been divided into 9 provinces considering the ethnic demography, geography, historical social development, etc. as a step of power-sharing among the minorities of Sri Lanka. Provincial councils have regional authority powers on specific areas such as schools, health, transport, etc. Please read here for more information on the power-sharing structure. The provincial council has linked to the executive presidency by the governor and the chief minister is the political leader of the province. There are provincial ministers for some sectors of the province. All the provincial councils have expired from the 09th of September 2019 and few provinces expired for more than a year. (News Link). Therefore soon after the presidential election, it is expected to declare the provincial council election. Local Authority The local council is at the bottom of the political structure of Sri Lanka. There are 341 total local authorities in Sri Lanka (24 municipal councils, 41 urban councils and 276 divisional councils). Please read here for more information. Since the local authorities are the closest authority for the locals, people consider local levels when it comes to local council elections. Types of Different Elections 1. Presidential Election As I have mentioned above, this is the most competitive election in Sri Lanka.  Sri Lankan elections used to be violent years ago but it has changed now, especially around the year 2000 as the community is more educated on the democratic system and its applications. However, because of the competition, during the pre-election campaigns, there are lots of meetings and rallies that will take place all around the country. Most of the mass meetings will take place in public places such as grounds, and city open spaces, and therefore, it can create traffic jams around the area. It is advised to avoid all these election rallies or meetings. 2. Parliamentary Election As the second competitive election which will elect 196 members for the parliament, parliamentary election also gather lots of crowds for rallies and meetings. Unlike the presidential election, the parliamentary election is more targeted on districts of the country, therefore more events can be seen outside the main cities. 3. Provincial Council Elections Provincial Council Elections can take place in one or more provinces of the country in a single day. Sometimes, most of the province’s elections are held in a single day. Most of the regional politicians compete for the seats and therefore it has a regional importance rather than a national importance. Comparing to the presidential and parliamentary elections, less money is involved and therefore events are also lower than them. 4. Local Councils Election Local election has only local importance and most of the local individuals are competing with each other for the council positions. Other than a few mass rallies which are taking place to show the political party’s strength, most of the other meetings are not lot crowded. It hardly affects the day-to-day lives of the people, but it is advised to avoid any mass public gatherings during the election period. Precautions You Must Follow 1. Avoid Any Gatherings Even Though the recent Sri Lankan Elections are comparatively peaceful, it is advised to avoid any place which has a possibility of violent eruption. Large gatherings have the potential to convert to election violence. 2. Avoid Main Cities Most of the election tension is witnessed around the main cities such as Colombo, Kandy, Galle etc. It is advised to avoid these cities or be vigilant when you visit city areas. 3. Election Celebrations Warnings As a country of cricket,

Fair Pay Policy We are maintaining a fair-pay policy, which means all the parties involved in your tour were paid fairly not just by considering the industrial payment policies but their life standards, which are well above the industry average. Support the Local Economy We are very much interested in promoting local owned independent hotels if they fit in to your requirements. This is to make sure the benefits of the tourism industry among locals. Most of the employees of the hotels that you are staying, are local and coming from rural backgrounds. Tourism industry in Sri Lanka is one of the main industries which has the potential to eradicate poverty. Concern on Environment our tour arrangements have minimum usage of papers as most of the arrangements are done electronically. We have tried to use minimum plastic for your tour and plastic water bottles you will use will be sent to a recycling plant. Finally & Most Importantly it’s you… We will ensure that the price you will pay is fair and without a large profit margin. You will receive our best service as we do not have any competition or hunger for profits. We are strongly against the tourist traps common in developing countries like ours. None of these are included in our travel itineraries. Your highest satisfaction and the guilty free holiday is our ultimate target

Contents of the Article 1. Introduction on Sri Lankan Currency 2. Currency Notes of Sri Lanka 3. Currency Exchange in Sri Lanka 4. Places to Exchange 5. ATM Machines & Other Electronic Payment Methods 6. General Tips As a small island nation located in the south of Asia, the currency of Sri Lanka is not familiar with the other people around the globe. Similarly, Sri Lankan people also not familiar with the other currencies as most of the countrymen are not exposed to the world. This article is to help whoever would like to know about the Sri Lankan currency mainly for those who travel in Sri Lanka and searching the information for educational purposes. “RUPEE” – The Name of the Currency of Lots of Countries in Asia “Rupee” is a word derived from the sanskrit language and its basic meaning is “Silver Coin”. Rupee used to be the official currency name of a number of countries in Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa from the colonial period. But it is still being used as the currency in countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal & Seychelles.    Even though the name is the same, the value of the currency is totally different from each other. Ex – Sri Lanka Rupee to Indunesian Rupiah exchange rate is 1- 72**.  (** Rounded spot exchange rate on 06th May 2021) 1. Introduction on Sri Lankan Currency LKR is the only valid & accepted currency in Sri Lanka and it is vital to note that none of the other Rupee currencies such as Indian Rupees or Nepal rupees are not accepted in Sri Lanka. On the other hand LKR currency can not use in any other country outside the Sri Lanka. History of the Currencies in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has a rich history and economic prosperity which goes back to ancient times. More than 2500 years of written history proves that the strategic location of the island used to be a busy economic activity since ancient civilizations of the world. A detailed article about the history of Sri Lankan Currency including the types of currencies, their usage, and evaluation is available on the website of Sri Lankan Central Bank. Sri Lankan “RUPEE” – LKR International currency code for Sri Lankan Rupee is – LKR. Please visit the list of all the currency codes in IBAN website.  Historical Movement of Exchange Rate Sri Lankan rupee has a negative trend against United States Dollar for more than 70 years after its independence from British Colonials rulers in 1948. Please find below the rate chart from xe.com Even though historical trend has a huge negative trend after war end in 2009, overall economy looks healthy as the economy is boosting. Strengthening of the US dollar in recent years has a negative impact on all the currencies in the world including Sri Lanka. Current Condition of LKR Currency exchange rate has a strong connection with its economic condition. Soon after ending the war, there was a capital flow into the country, but the country could not capitalise the opportunity by maintaining the constant economic development with a long term strategic plan. While, industries like tourism, clothing, information technology has been maintaining a healthy development rate, total exports are still negative against the imports. Therefore current and near future condition of LKR looks vulnerable. 02. Currency Notes of Sri Lanka After 1948 in which Sri Lanka gained independence from the British Colonial days, there have been plenty of different prints of Sri Lankan currency. Some of these have been outdated by now, however, there are many versions currently in circulation as well. Since you are new to the currency, you might find it a tad hard to memorize all the valid notes. If you would like to know about the currency notes in detail – Please visit the page of Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Invalid notes in Sri Lanka Unlike in India, the issues on using old or expired currency notes has not reported in Sri Lanka. Therefore there is minimal risk of catch in to expired currency notes in Sri Lanka. However knowing the currency is always helpful to use it when you are travelling in Sri Lanka. 03. Currency Exchange Advantage of exchange Rate One of the main reasons to travel in South Asian country is to get the advantage of the value of the currency against the currency you hold . You get higher value in most cases against the currencies like Indian Rupee, Pakistan Rupee or Sri Lankan rupee. But my experience is most foreign tourists who travel in these countries won’t get the advantage due to lack of knowledge. This is a detailed guide about currency in Sri Lanka for the people who are planning to travel Sri Lanka. Where Can I buy Sri Lankan Currency LKR Sri Lankan rupee is a closed currency, which means it is not available to buy or sell outside of Sri Lanka. (Read More on Closed Currency) If you try to buy the currency in a Currency Exchange Outlet outside Sri Lanka, it is impossible or too expensive. Best Rates for LKR If you are a regular traveller you might be aware that buying the currencies at the Airport is one thing you have to avoid or make it minimum wherever you travel. Each and every currency bureaus in Airport has ridiculously high profit margins. So if you can manage to come outside from the Sri Lankan Airport at Katunayake, there are a couple of currency bureaus in Negombo and lots in capital city Colombo -Fort. My advice is to get the support from your agent or guide to find those places. At Feel SL Holidays our dedicated team will guide you to buy LKR in  best rates most importantly with higher transparency. Just keep in mind that if you are changing the currencies from the outlets in Colombo Fort, make sure to bargain for a better rate. My advice is just visit them by yourself

When you think of visiting Sri Lanka as your next travel destination, the above question is the very first question you will get. This is a difficult question as Sri Lanka has a lot to offer to a traveller. (Please read about a detailed article on travel in Sri Lanka) As a travel professional, I have designed a tour programme of 31 nights which had only Jaffna & Sigiriya for 3 nights but rest are either 2 nights or single night stays. Therefore, I know for a fact that you can even have a few months of a busy travel schedule visiting various places around Sri Lanka. Based on air travel time and the type of your travel, I would like to make following suggestions on sufficient days to visit Sri Lanka If you are a regular visitor ( Business visit or regular beach holiday maker) or a person who lives in a country where you can reach Sri Lanka within 3 hours of flight time, then, you can have short trips to visit some iconic places located all around the country. I would say 3-4 days are enough for a short holiday.  If you are a holiday maker who is looking to have a memorable experience for your annual long holiday and you are going to have a long flight which may take more than 6-7 hours air travel time, it is recommended to allocate 10-14 days minimum to have the best experience in Sri Lanka.  Alternatively, let me suggest what sort of tours you can have based on the allocated time period to travel in Sri Lanka. Please note that I have the following assumptions when writing this article. Any leisure stays are not counted (Beach or Hill Country) during the tour. All these suggestions are for generic tour plans in Sri Lanka. Suggestions are to cover major attractions but off the beaten sites have suggested only after visiting  the main sites. The tour suggestions are not specialised to wildlife or culture but mix of everything. It is advised to customise any of your travel plans to suit your exact requirements. All the tour suggestions will start from Colombo or Airport and ending at Colombo or Airport Day Tours in Sri Lanka If you have only one day to visit the country, there are enough Day excursions available. If we assume that you are in a transit stay or having one day break after a business visit to Sri Lanka, you have the following options. Colombo City Tour Galle & Bentota visit Pinnawala & Kandy Cultural & Religious places around Colombo Negombo City Tour Cave temple visit in Western Province 1 Night / 2 Days Tours in Sri Lanka Again, 2 days might be too short to visit Sri Lanka, however you can stay one night outside of Colombo / Airport and have a great experience in Sri Lanka. Some of the great 1night / 2 days travel ideas in Sri Lanka are given below. Sigiriya & Polonnaruwa cultural & wildlife exploration Kandy the mid-hill tour Yala & Galle visit Hill Country & Highlands Tour in Nuwara Eliya In depth study of City of Colombo Explore the untouched Cultural Sights of North Central Province 2 Nights / 3 Days Tours in Sri Lanka 2 nights stay in Sri Lanka can be an option where you can have a glimpse of the beautiful Sri Lanka. If you would like to visit many places, you can stay in 2 places for the 2 nights or else you can stay in one place and visit the places. Both ideas are given below. There are few cultural and wildlife hotspots in Sri Lanka where you can stay 3 days (2 nights) and explore the areas. Especially, ancient kingdoms of the country were located in the Northern central dry zones and you could visit the area by staying at the same place. Hill countries also have many things to offer to enjoy within a shorter period. South of Sri Lanka is also one of the best options. Travel 2 nights staying in a single place   Stay Colombo – Visit Galle & Kandy Stay Sigiriya – Visit Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura Stay Kandy – Visit Kandy & Sigiriya Stay Kandy – Visit Kandy & Nuwara Eliya Stay Galle – Visit Mirissa, Bentota, Kanneliya Rainforest Travel 2 nights, Staying in two seperate places Anuradhapura & Sigiriya Sigiriya & Kandy Kandy & Nuwara Eliya Kandy & Knuckles Yala & Galle Sinharaja & Galle Kitulgala & Ella Riding by train the scenic mountain track from Nuwarelia to Colombo Travel in Sri Lanka within 5 Nights / 6 Days You can arrange your 5 nights tour in Sri Lanka in various ways. Some of the ideas are given below. Have a glimpse of the most famous tourist attractions in Sri Lanka. Sample itinerary has been published on our website in Discover Sri Lanka – 5 nights. This is a generic itinerary to follow and you will have a tight schedule. Since you are covering lots of areas, the travelling time is also high. However, the itinerary covers most of the famous sights such as Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Kandy, Nuwaraeliya and Galle. Explore the northern parts of Sri Lanka. Far north of Sri Lanka is comparatively unexposed due to the civil war in Sri Lanka. Main city in north of Sri Lanka is Jaffna which is located in the peninsula, the area has different experiences to offer to its visitors not only geographically, but also culturally and socially too. Jaffna and northern province is predominant by hindu culture whereas southern part by Sinhala buddhist culture in Sri Lanka. Spending 3 nights in Jaffna and 2 nights in other places such as north central province or north west beach would be a great idea. Historical Hotspots in North Central province and Eastern province Historical ruins of the ancient civilisation of Sri Lanka mainly located in north central and eastern provinces in Sri Lanka. If you are a fan of history, heritage, and culture visiting

Yes, it is one of the last things to think about if you are planning to visit a tropical country. No big jumpers, no winter coats, no body warmers, and no duvets are needed if you are traveling to Sri Lanka. Trust me, you can survive with just shorts and skinnies if you are not traveling to the hill countries. The worst it can get there is just below 10 degrees Celsius at night. During the rainy season, it won\’t be too cold anywhere in the country. Therefore, make sure to have light clothes and a lighter bag to enjoy the tropical atmosphere. Most importantly, why not try your best fashions during this fantastic holiday season? Keep in mind, there might be some restrictions to cover your body when you visit temples. There are a couple of things to remember if you wish to travel to some of the rich cultural destinations of the country. Since most of these areas are religious—Buddhist or Hindu-related places—you might be asked to cover up if you are wearing shorts or skinnies. This is a strict rule when you visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, Dambulla Ancient Temple, and historical temples in Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura. My advice is to enjoy the weather as much as you can and keep a separate sheet or cloth to cover up your body whenever needed. Beaches and swimming pools are going to be the best experiences of your holiday in a tropical paradise. Make sure to have all your swimsuits and bikinis ready with the relevant cosmetics. The average temperature can be from 25 to 33 degrees Celsius during a sunny day on the beach. It’s well enough to get your skin tanned, so remember to have sun protection cream with you too. This is just general advice about the clothes to pack when you are coming to Sri Lanka for a holiday, but this can vary according to the particular itinerary you get from your tour operator. At Tara Travels, we advise our clients individually about their itineraries. We are happy to share our experiences if you need any. Feel free to comment below or just drop us an email at info@taratravels.co

Destination promotion is vital to develop the tourism industry in a country. Digital Technology has reshaped the entire process of destination promotions. I recently had a chance to interview a Swiss millennial couple who is travelling in Sri Lanka. The boy is passionate about Kite Surfing and the girl is going to learn Kite Surfing while in Sri Lanka and she wanted to travel to India as she likes to explore culture & heritage. They have got to know about the Kalpitiya area from a Swiss religious Television channel and then he has searched for pictures on Instagram and YouTube for videos. He has read reviews on TripAdvisor prior to confirming his visit to Sri Lanka. Apparently, during the specific time of the year is holiday for those youngsters and they usually search for their next Kitesurfing spot in the World as soon as they finished their holidays. He has been to a number of countries like that and he is expecting to have 7 days on Kitesurfing in Kalpitiya and 7 days touring around the country. He will be posting a number of pictures on Instagram and write review about hotels and places he is visiting in Sri Lanka as a help to the travellers like him. As I specifically asked him his review will definitely influence Sri Lankan visits of at least 5-10 their close friends. As a travel industry professional who following ongoing trends in the industry, I have come across the news items of a number of international Tourism Promotional activities done by SLTPB except for anything about online destination marketing campaigns. There are a number of destination promotional roadshows are organised, headed by the minister. The national digital marketing campaign is to keep postponing. A recent interview published in Financial Times with the regional head of TripAdvisor stated that how simple the campaign is needed to be. She is simply saying create stories as much as you can. Make it genuine and helpful to others. I think officials want to know, how many millions does this cost? I would say without spending a cent, Sri Lanka can start its innovative digital marketing campaign. Unfortunately, this is Sri Lanka, officials only like to see its balanced budget sheets only. One of the eye-catching digital media campaign “Incredible India” recently launched its latest digital marketing campaign as “The Great Indian Blog Train” which is to create web contents by giving bloggers to have a luxury train ride in India. TripAdvisor Destination Marketing Head – Asia Pacific Sarah Mathews exactly proposing a similar activity from Sri Lankans too. Of course, India is on the right track. Why can’t Sri Lanka run a Destination Marketing Campaign on digital media? According to a well-known marketing professional in the country, the committee set up to develop a Destination Marketing Strategy to Sri Lanka, none of those members has a single active social media account. All those are good at wealth accumulation, but not in the digitalised world. Competition of the travel & tourism industry is not on hunting of foreign agents now. It is highly digitised and destination promotion needs to be on the digital world. Millennial and post-millennial travellers highly depend on online but not on paid advertisements. The digital world is genuine and cheap quality products do not survive on it. We need to get ready for the digital era by producing some genuine products first. Unreasonable commission schemes and tourist’s traps won’t benefit at all. Probably they can cheat on Indian or Chinese large group travellers, but only until they get noticed. Willgoto, World travel directory and travel guide for a detailed travel guide. The digitalising of the Sri Lankan Tourism need to start from the ground. There are enough professionals and private companies who can run a fabulous digital marketing campaign. One of an Indian Travel company based in Sri Lanka has handed over their website development to a local company for a high cost while they can develop it in India at least 5 times less than the price they pay to the Sri Lanka company. But the company is wise and has a long-term plan. Sri Lankan authorities who are waiting to launch its digital marketing plan need to look at those examples too. This is destination marketing and it is not merely a product, it is consists of culture, society, language at so many identities which could be understood only by Sri Lankans. Sri Lanka is digitised enough. But it is a huge question whether the Travel & Tourism sector is digitalised enough or not. The discussion needs to be heard in a much higher voice than it is now. FeelSL Holidays, a family-run boutique tour operator in Sri Lanka, has been rebranded as Tara Travels. The FeelSL Holidays website is currently disabled, and all content has been transferred to the newly launched Tara Travels website. While all content will be updated with current information, certain quality content concepts originally published on FeelSL will be retained on the Tara Travels website.

In order to make a thing perfect, every little space need to be filled. When it comes to the hospitality it does matter. Otherwise you will keep some memories but you will feel that you did not get what you expected. “Ani Villas: It’s all yours” is a concept of make things perfect and beat your expectations. Ani Villa – Sri Lanka, the world renowned brand is in Sri Lanka to offer its ultra luxury facilities with Sri Lankan hospitality services. Lets Start – Heading to down south town Dikwella, Sri Lanka. Where can we start? May be from architecture…. No… Let’s have a simple start….. You may come after a long flight and a long drive and of course to a different country. Home is far and you need to refresh yourself so badly. I am sure a friendly Sri Lankan smiley face will comfort you first. That helps you to get down from your vehicle. But at “Ani Villa – Sri Lanka” that is just a start of welcoming you. Lighting an oil lamp by all your friends and family is the best feeling of welcome I have ever had. Noise of the sea at dark atmosphere with small bulbs all around the garden will give you one of the best initial impressions. Pleasant and active group of staff led by General Manager of Ani Villas – Sri Lanka, Yeshi Phuntsho start their service right after they receive your inquiry. They are in a mode to give their best service to you. Familiarising the place and creating meals, excursions, special arrangements, will feel you like they are staying in your place. Of course it says clearly “It’s all yours” Stay at Ani Villa Scenic view of my bed room is the most amazing thing in this property for me. I really love to have a long view from my bed room. Amazing sight of beautiful Indian Ocean’s horizon is the best for a energetic morning. Tropical Sri Lankan down south may be difficult without Air conditioning even with the sea breeze, comfortable extra-large rooms with spread air-conditioning machine may feel like you are waking up in a spring morning. I had a chance to visit a few rooms where my friends stayed. The common thing in all of them was focusing on stunning ocean and securing the privacy. Renowned seaside boutique property architecture Reda Amalou and his team on AW2 has given extra value to the Sri Lankan ocean giving unique sight of the ocean to the guests who are staying in the property. All the rooms and common areas like bar, living pavilions, event pavilions and other places have located in the perfect place to get the best view and matching to the uneven landscape. If you are staying in the property, you do not see the staff everywhere like in a star class hotel. But whenever you need them, one of 30 members with you in a second in a happy to serve mode. Positivity among the staff of Ani Villas is exceptional. I am sure the beautiful swimming pool and surrounding area is the place you spend most of your time here. The perfectly designed infinity swimming pool is not only comforts you but gives you a stunning photographic view. If you are a sunbathing fan, this is one of the ideal places, and a cold beer or properly made cocktail from Achala from the bar will entertain you throughout the day. It is absolutely All Yours. Any type of food and a huge collection of liquor and wines are all of them to you. I am sure anyone will fine a great homemade food collection including Jam, Marmalade, and ice-creams. They are precisely homemade as the well-experienced chef Cyril and the team enthusiastically make them inside the premises. They are happy to make any special dishes upon your request. The all-inclusive availability of smart TVs in your bedroom is another great thing in this place. You have several Satellite TV channels and Netflix to enjoy and more especially unlimited download on the i-tune store is quite interesting as well. High-speed internet in each room will never let down your expectations.   Ani Villa – Luxury oceanfront villa in Dickwella in Sri Lanka can be booked on a villa basis. There are two separate villas, the larger one is Villa Monara with 8 bedrooms and a minimum of 6 bedrooms need to be booked. Villa Divia contains 7 bedrooms and a minimum of 4 bedrooms need to be booked. The price range starts from $ 3750 and $ 15000 for the entire property during the peak time. End.. At the end of the review let me finish with the fascinating story behind this ultra-modern luxury villa. Tim Reynolds, the founder of Jane Street Capital (a global proprietary trading firm) changed his life when he met artist Anthony Waichulis with the concept of “Great artists aren’t born, they’re educated”. He started Ani Art Academy and Ani Villas were established to fund this amazing art academy. You can find Ani Art Academies wherever you find luxury Ani Villas. Sri Lankan Ani Art Academy is being built at the moment. They conduct a year-intensive art curriculum at the academy. There are several renowned artists have been already made from these academies in the world. (The writer stayed at Ani Villas as a familiarisation tour organised for a travel agency on December 2016) FeelSL Holidays, a family-run boutique tour operator in Sri Lanka, has been rebranded as Tara Travels. The FeelSL Holidays website is currently disabled, and all content has been transferred to the newly launched Tara Travels website. While all content will be updated with current information, certain quality content concepts originally published on FeelSL will be retained on the Tara Travels website.

The human touch of travel is a challenge with rising online travel agents. This article shows 5 solid reasons that the human touch of travel cannot be replaced. As a tour designer who handles direct enquiries from holidaymakers from all around the world, I face a huge challenge of beating out OTA’s that sell cheap travel packages without knowing anything about the destination. This article is about the reasons why human touch of travel cannot be replaced with robots during the era of online systems taking over most of the commercial activities of the world. I agree the fact that OTAs are becoming a huge challenge to traditional travel agencies especially among the travel & tourism tech innovations at a higher level and growing faster. But my argument is that Human Touch of Travel will not be replaced but the value of the position will be enhanced by the tech disruption happening in the industry. WL – WebLinks Directory   These are some points to prove that the human touch of tailor-made holiday designs are not going to be erased until artificial intelligence (AI) machines can fully replace humans. 1. Paintings did not replace the camera There is a famous saying that once the camera is invented, paintings will no longer be valid in art. But did it happen? What happened was artistic paintings took a different artistic formation where the pictures from a camera cannot be replaced. The value of the paintings was increased while some areas covered by paintings were replaced by the camera, because of that the value of the human touch has increased in drawings. 2. ‎The human touch of production is replaced but the value of human touch has gone up. Wherever human engagement is replaced by technology has increased the value of the human touch while adding a premium value to the product. If you need a custom-made product, human touch is essential. If you are a person who enjoys the same product which has been produced in a factory with thousands of identical products, you might not need the human touch. But if you need something unique and carefully matched with your specific requirements, you need the human touch to customize your product. For example, handmade cars to handmade jewellery or handmade clothes have a premium value. Likewise, tailor-made holidays will become a premium product in the travel industry soon. 3. ‎Culture can not be replaced by experience-sharing One of the most interesting changes in the travel and tourism sector in the recent past is travellers are eager to experience the local culture. Experience is not merely visiting a place but living it. This is not a novel concept but the benchmark that changes the traditional method from travelling to visit sites to get a life experience. User-generated content or any ready-made packages cannot provide the real experience the person needs unless it is provided by an experienced human being. That is human touch of travel is filling the gap of the industry. 4. ‎Professional knowledge can not be replaced by general knowledge User-generated travel reviews are guiding methods used by online travel agents. There may not be any human touch until the client comes to the specific destination. But can we always depend on user-generated content? Then Wikipedia must have replaced all the professions even including medicine, engineering or nuclear science. Likewise, thorough professional knowledge about a destination, accommodation or excursions cannot be replaced by reviews; probably they can guide the holidaymakers. But when it comes to decision-making, anyone who is eagerly waiting for a holiday might not be willing to risk their plans by depending on unfiltered sets of ideas rather than professionals who design tailor-made holidays. 5. ‎Human touch can not be replaced by a robot Finally, there is a limit to technology. Of course, some hard labour work accomplished by humans can be replaced by technology. But using the knowledge in any industry will not be able to replace the human in the near future. Likewise, traditional holiday package selling will be easily overtaken by OTAs shortly. Lack of creativity in the industry will make a chaos to the traditional mass sellers who are trying to beat the market only by prices. But the human touch in the travel and tourism industry will not only be replaced but the value also will grow up in future.

Introduction to Sustainable Development Concept of “Sustainable Development” was developed due to a number of shortcomings of the classical development strategy used during & post industrial revolution. (Source). Continuous high environmental pollution, over consuming natural resources, escalating the effects of carbon footprints along with economic disparity and social exclusion caused the reason to develop a sustainable development strategy. Sustainable Development concept is established due to over consuming resources after the industrial revolution and risk of lacking or finishing those resources for future generations. In an essay by Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834) predicted that World population will eventually starve or at the least minimal level of subsistence due to the growth of the population. Growth of the technology and the production made his prediction stand still. The book “The Limits to Growth” by (Meadows, 1972) argues the depletion of nonrenewable resources will make an impact on the supply to the continuous growing demand. Because of ongoing debate on resources, population growth and consumption UN general secretary appointed the Brundtland Commission in 1983 which eventually lead to the UN conference on Environment and Development. (UNCED). “Our Common Future” the report published by Brundtland Commission which includes the most recognized definition on Sustainable development. “Sustainable Development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” There were key outputs of UNCED summit in 1992. Those were The Rio Declaration, Agenda 21 and Commission of Sustainable Development. Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 was evolved from the plan of agenda 21 in 1992. Agenda 21 got 40 chapters mainly in 4 sections; Social and Economic dimensions, Conservation and Management of Resources for development, Strengthening the Role of Major groups and Means of Implementation Agenda 21 was evolved as the Millennium Development Goals in year 2000 which contained 8 goals to be achieved in 2015. The goals are Eradicate extreme poverty Achieve universal primary education Promote gender equality Reduce child mortality Improve maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases Ensure environmental sustainability and Develop a global partnership for development. After ending Millennium development goals in 2015, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were introduced on targeting 2030. There are 17 goals. No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Decent Work and Economic Growth Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Reduced Inequality Sustainable Cities and Communities Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Life Below Water Life on Land Peace and Justice Strong Institutions Partnerships to achieve the Goal (Source – https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/envision2030.html) As an industry one of the continuously fastest growing within the last few decades and the potential to influence most parts of the world simultaneously “Sustainable Tourism” concept was developed to coincide with “Sustainable Development” This essay is focused on discussing the ways of sustainable approach to Tourism benefit people and future generations at the same time. According to UNWTO, the Sustainable Tourism is defined as follows; “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”  Key elements of the definition highlights. Make optimal use of natural resources while maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity. Respect the host communities, culture, identity and facilitate to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance Providing a socio-economic benefit to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed. Whilst SDGs are directly mentioned in the Tourism Industry in 3 of its goals (Goal no 8, 12 & 14) as one of the fastest growing industries in the World, Tourism Industry can support of implementing most SDG Goals. For an example, Goal No 01- End poverty in all its forms everywhere; could be achieved by expanding economic benefits of tourism industry with host communities. Countries which are below the poverty line has a bigger share in tourism arrivals within the last two decades. As an industry, which has high engagement with people has a higher opportunity of distributing its financial and other advantages with its communities. Rather than waiting for a spillover effect from an industry, tourism industry has more possibility of getting direct advantages to the country’s entire population. The benefits to its host community will have a direct impact back to the industry as the quality of the human touch will be increased. SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic growth could be achieved while supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity and small- and medium-sized enterprises which is covered in SDG 8.3. The human touch of the tourism industry is highly valued and which may lead to increase the employment opportunities in the society. Tourism industry promotes cultures. While most of the other Economic development activities can harm to local culture, customs, history and heritage, Tourism Industry promotes those to its clients as a product. This will indirectly conserve some vulnerable social practices and conserve history and heritage as an economic product. The damages could have been affected to some historical and cultural monuments needs to be avoided by limit over visitation and planned regulations. Experienced modern day visitors are genuinely support those conservation attempts if they are educated on the process. Sustainable practice will be constructively impact on cultural and heritage rather than as a threat. Beaches & sea are one of the most popular parts of the tourists all around the World. Conservation projects on sea animals is highly popular among tourists such as turtle conservation projects. The real sustainable impact needs to be monitored to get the best outcome from them. Since the conservation is the part of the tourism activity, the authorities do not need to allocate their funds for them. The advantages are mutually benefited. Well planned, sustainable approach will benefit both industry and community while sharing its economic and other paybacks at the same time. It will help to reduce the destructive effects on society while increasing its security for a long time. Tourism Industry of Sri Lanka The tourism industry is the 3rd Foreign Exchange earning source to the country at the moment. It responsible for

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Outbound Tourism of United Kingdom British Holidaymakers and Sri Lankan Tourism Prospects and Key Challenges Recommendations and suggestions 01. Introduction on United Kingdom and Its Tourism Industry When it comes to travel and leisure industry, the United Kingdom (UK) ranks as originate place of industrial revolution two centuries ago. Mass scale leisure travelling also started from the United Kingdom in 1841 when Thomas Cook introduced the leisure trips to his customers. There onwards, industry expanded best known as “Travel & Hospitality Industry” expanding its limits to infinity. While travel & tourism industry is one of the economically valuable industries in the world, the population of the United Kingdom with 65 millions of people (0.008% of the world population) had been performing well in the travel industry who used to have the biggest empire on earth less than a century ago. United Kingdom is the fifth largest economy in the world, comprising 3.5% of world GDP. When it comes to tourism, United Kingdom is the 4th largest tourism spender in the world according to UNWTO report. There are 70 million foreign trips recorded from the country. 1.1 Historical Relationship Of Sri Lanka & United Kingdom & Colonial Effect On The Tourism Industry In Sri Lanka Sri Lanka used to be a historical centre for international trading. Hence, there are number of ancient references to Sri Lanka by foreigners who visited the country such as Iban Bathutha, Robert Knox etc. However basic infrastructure and faculties needed for travel and tourism industry were built during the colonial time. According to Fernando, S., Bandara, J., & Smith (2006) initial infrastructure and amenities were built but not specifically aiming at tourism. Some luxury accommodation was built colonial time planters, governors and other visitors. Those luxury accommodation facilities were converted to star class hotels which were later used for tourism and hospitality industry. Galleface Hotel; iconic city hotel of Colombo was built by four entrepreneurs in 1864 and later converted into a luxury hotel. Mount Lavinia Hotel has glorious story behind its creation by Sir Thomas Maitland who used to be the governor of Sri Lanka. The Grand Hotel is another fabulous colonial hotel located in Nuwaraeliya used to be a holiday home of the 5th Governor of Sri Lanka Sir Edward Barnes. Apart of these star class luxury hotels, there are several guest houses located all around the country which were built during the colonial period. Apart from the accommodation facilities which help to establish the industry, the other important factor established by the British colonials were the basic infrastructure facilities which were developed later. The road network and most importantly railway network was built by the British directly advances not only the tourism industry but also every industry of the country. 2. Outbound Tourism of United Kingdom As stated above, the United Kingdom is the place which originated the leisure travel to the World. Being the country which started the industrialisation and which used to have the biggest colonial empire in the world, the wealth belonged to British people allow them to travel, explore and relax abroad. According to the statistics taken from Office for National Statistics UK, from 1980 to 2016 number of visits by the UK residents have grown up from 17 million to nearly 71 million which is an average annual growth of 4%. Most significantly, the spending done abroad by the UK residents have grown up from £2738 million to £ 43000 which is 8% of annual growth. The growth rate of spending is drastical during 80’s and 90’s and it has a negative affect or slow increase just before and after the recession in 2009. Despite the slowdown in economic growth, European outbound travel has grown by 3%. Globally, United Kingdom is one of the top five spenders in outbound tourism. Outbound travel is increasing steadily in the United Kingdom along with domestic and inbound tourism. According to the Office for National Statistics of the UK, residents of the United Kingdom made 70.4 million outbound trips in 2016, which is a 7% increase compared to 2015. Trips taken as holiday remained the main purpose of the trip for UK outbound tourists in 2016 followed by visiting friends and relatives and business trips. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the outbound tourism expenditure of UK travelers crossed US$ 70 billion and is projected to reach US$ 102 billion by the end of 2024. The outbound travel sector in the United Kingdom provides employment on par with other well-known and recognized industries, such as food and electrical equipment manufacturing and machinery and equipment industries. Relatively, high disposable income per capita is expected to drive the United Kingdom’s outbound tourism sector. Baby Boomers, with more free time and money for travel, are the most important segment of the UK outbound travel sector. The baby boomer generation has topped the market share of the UK outbound travel sector mainly attributed to the recent changes in pension annuities. According to the International Passenger Survey, the residents of UK prefer July and August for travel abroad mainly due to the long school holidays. Other popular months are April, May, June, October and November. January to March is a popular time for single-week ski trips and winter sun breaks to cheap destinations, usually as an extra holiday. Along with the international airports, the United Kingdom has many regional airports offering international services to important destinations which include Manchester, Nottingham, East Midlands, Liverpool and Leeds. Medical tourism across the globe also faced difficulties in the last couple of years. Outbound medical tourism from Britain has recovered slowly after the recession. Factors including poor National Health Service delivery, problems with National Health Service dentistry, and objections and delays relating to National Health Service has encouraged the medical tourism. Reforms have helped boost the outbound tourism sector in the UK. The residents of the UK seek cheap medical treatment abroad and look for countries such as Poland and Bulgaria for medical help. However, factors such as