The Sri Lanka Tourism Vision 2025 states that Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is growing at an exponential rate. Tourism was the third largest foreign exchange earner for the country in 2019, preceded by worker’s remittance and textile and garments (SLTDA, 2019). Very importantly, it recognizes the need for conserving Sri Lanka’s natural wealth as it positions tourism as the “vehicle to conserve, preserve, protect and enhance Sri Lanka’s plethora of natural and cultural assets.” Therefore the sector will play a key role in maximizing the environmental and economic returns of nature and culture-based tourism (SLTDA, 2016a).
The intent of this resource is to present Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the tourism value chain with simplified guidelines for the incorporation of and implementation of sustainable practices in their businesses. This resource further draws attention to essential registration processes and certifications that were developed for the betterment of MSMEs.
The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations, including the Connecting Business initiative (CBi), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).