“Sri Lanka, a tourist country located in the Indian Ocean, is a destination that can be planned by travel agencies for their Tunisian clients.” This was declared by Hichem Trabelsi, honorary consul of Sri Lanka in Tunisia, during a ceremony that took place on Thursday, February 8, 2024, in Tunis in the presence of numerous tourism and travel professionals.
Based on the observation that Tunisian travel agencies specializing in trips abroad ( outgoing ) were constantly looking for new things for their clients, Mr. Trabelsi believes that Sri Lanka, through the diversity of its tourist and natural offerings and the richness of its culture, could constitute an alternative to those among the frequent travelers looking for a destination offering a total change of scenery.
Regarding entry procedures into the country, the honorary consul explained that the procedures were relatively simple for obtaining a visa for Tunisian nationals and that the procedure would be transmitted to travel agencies who would be regularly informed of the necessary formalities.
For his part, Kasun Balasooriya, second secretary at the Sri Lankan embassy in Cairo, indicated, during the same event, that the destination had received precisely 1.487 million foreign tourists in 2023, an increase of 106% compared to 2022. Among them, 687 bearers of Tunisian nationality. “This figure is, however, not a record in itself,” underlined the diplomat who indicated that in 2019, 878 Tunisians visited Sri Lanka.
In terms of air transport and the absence of a direct line between Tunisia and Sri Lanka, the airline Turkish Airlines is currently positioned as being able to offer efficient services between Tunis and Colombo with a stopover time reduced to Istanbul airport.
Turkish Airlines, thanks to its two daily flights (then 3 from April) between Tunis and Istanbul and its 4 frequencies per week Istanbul-Colombo, thus appears to be the best alternative in terms of air connection to the destination Sri Lanka from Tunisia.
Tourist attractions
Colombo and Greater Colombo: This area extends from Mount Lavinia in the south to Negombo in the north. The city of Colombo is the main part of the zone and is the center of commercial activities, conferences, and sporting events in the country. Colombo is both a gateway and a stopping point for international tourists.
The South Coast: This area of the south coast extends from Wadduwa to Tissamaharama. It has been divided into two main regions. The first extends from Wadduwa to Galle. Coastal areas such as Kalutara, Beruwala, Bentota, Dedduwa, Madu Ganga, Balapitiya, Ahungalla, and Hikkaduwa are included in it.
The second region, which extends from Galle to Tissamaharama, includes Unawatuna, Koggala, Weligama, Mirissa, Matara, Tangalle, and Hambantota.
The east coast stretches from Kuchchaveli in the north to Pottuvil in the south. The main tourist areas in this region are Arugam Bay, Pasikudah, Trincomalee, and Nilaveli.
The West Coast: This resort region stretches along the Kalpitiya, Marawila, and Waikkala areas.
The high country: Nuwara Eliya, Bandarawela, and Maskeliya are included in this region.
Ancient cities: five world heritage sites, namely Anuradhapura, Dambulla, Kandy, Polonnaruwa, and Sigiriya. Other regions include Habarana, Giritale, Matale, and Victoria.
Other resort areas: Yala, Udawalawa, Wasgamuwa, Pinnawala and Ratnapura.
The fauna and the flora :
Despite its small size, Sri Lanka has a high level of biodiversity and wildlife resources and is ranked among the 34 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Many species of flora and fauna are indigenous to Sri Lanka. This has made the island a country with the highest rates of biological endemism in the world.
13% of Sri Lanka’s land surface has been designated as Wildlife Protection Areas (WLPA), currently representing a total area of 8,500 km2. About 7% of the area is national parks, that is, areas where the public can observe and study the flora and fauna. Sri Lanka’s national parks have become popular tourist destinations.
The beaches :
Sri Lanka has nearly 1,600 km of coastline with tropical beaches popular with local and foreign tourists. Most of the country’s coastline is dotted with varied coastal features such as bays, lagoons, sandbars, and rocky headlands.
Marine recreational activities, such as sea bathing and swimming, surfing, boating, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, underwater photography, and scuba diving, can be enjoyed on most of these beaches and in the resort areas associated with them.
The beaches of Tangalle, Beruwala, Mirissa, Bentota, Unawatuna Arugam Bay, Pasikudah, Hikkaduwa, Uppuveli, and Negombo are considered famous tourist beaches in the country.
Natural beauty :
Sri Lanka has many tourist attractions with areas of natural beauty including mountainous terrains, agricultural landscapes, waterfalls, places with diverse climatic conditions, reservoirs ( wewas ), and rivers.
The patrimony :
Heritage tourism involves visiting historical sites. Sri Lanka is very rich in prehistoric, protohistoric, and historical monuments, which bear witness to its ancient civilization and culture. Buddhism has mainly contributed to shaping the cultural heritage of the country. The historical period of Sri Lanka proper begins around 236 BC. BC with the introduction of Buddhism in the country by missionaries sent by the Indian empire Asoka.
Unesco has declared six archaeological sites and two ecological sites as World Heritage sites in the country. Besides these sites, the Government of Sri Lanka has declared several protected archaeological sites and monuments in the country.
The pilgrimage:
Sri Lanka is well known for its rich Buddhist culture as well as other religions. As a religious country, Sri Lanka has many places with religious and historical significance, which attract tourists from all over the world. Anuradhapura, Temple of the Tooth, Sri Pada, Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu, and Kataragama are some of the famous religious sites of the island which attract a large number of tourists.
The walking pilgrimage called Pada Yatra, which is one of Sri Lanka’s oldest traditions, has been practiced for centuries. Jaffna residents travel along the east coast to Kataragama Shrine, a famous religious site on the island that attracts a large number of tourists.
Related attractions are Buddhist Vihara, Hindu Temples, Aatamasthana and Solosmasthana
Sport and adventure:
Sports tourism is defined as the involvement, observation, or participation in a particular sporting event for recreational purposes. Sri Lanka is also a destination for sports such as cricket, rugby, golf, and surfing. Except for cricket, the contribution of other sports to the tourism sector remains very low.
In addition to classic sporting events, adventure sports are also part of sports tourism. Trekking, hiking, diving, rock climbing, deep sea fishing, whale watching, and hot air ballooning are some of the adventure sports that one can enjoy in Sri Lanka.
Cultural tourism and others:
Cultural tourism includes tourism in urban areas, particularly historic towns or large cities, and their cultural facilities such as museums and theaters.
Museums and Theatres: Currently, four national museums and 26 archaeological museums have been established in Sri Lanka. National museums are managed by the Department of National Museums and archaeological museums by the Department of Archaeology. Besides museums, Sri Lanka also has a large number of theaters.
Festivals: Sri Lanka is a multicultural country where several festivals are celebrated by different communities. Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations, Vesak Festival, Christmas, Ramadan Festival, Thai Pongal, and Galle Literary Festival are some of the major festivals.
Performing Arts: There are three main forms of traditional dance in Sri Lanka: Kandyan dance, Lowland dance, and Sabaragamuwa dance. Although not unique to Sri Lanka, Bharatanatyam, which originated in India, is also popular in Sri Lanka, particularly among the Tamil community.
Sri Lankan cuisine has been influenced by many historical, cultural, and other factors. Rice is the main staple food of the country. The others are hoppers, string hoppers, and pittu. As Sri Lanka is one of the largest tea producers in the world, it is best known for its unorthodox tea production. Tea was introduced to the country by the British, who called it Ceylon. Pure Ceylon tea is considered one of the finest teas produced in the world.
Sri Lankan handicrafts include wood carving, silverware, brass castings, ceramics, bamboo products, pottery, batiks, lace, sugarcane, costume jewelry, lacquerware, wooden masks, coconut articles, handlooms, and ivory products.
Tourist accommodation consists of listed hotels, additional establishments, guest houses, and small-scale campsites. More informal accommodation is available on a paying guest system in private houses and tea plantation bungalows in the hills.
Ecotourism
This sustainable or responsible tourism allows travelers to participate in tourism throughout Sri Lanka while contributing to the well-being of local communities and ensuring that they limit their impact on the environment.
The Sri Lanka Ecotourism Foundation is the national organization that has created an official ecotourism network across the island, helping to develop sustainable tourism with numerous travel options. In 2010,
the foundation received the Presidential Award for “Outstanding Contribution to Tourism in Sri Lanka”.
