The Sri Lanka adventure that opened agents' eyes to the benefits of touring
Madeleine Barber joined TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassadors and G Touring in Sri Lanka to learn how the operator delivers richer experiences for travellers and helps care for the people and places they visit
I think I must be leaving a cloud of dust in my wake as my feet pound against the terracotta earth atop Sri Lanka’s most ancient and revered rock fortress, Sigiriya. Running is definitely not recommended up here due to its 600-foot elevation and abundance of fifth-century pools to navigate, but my fight or flight response has been well and truly activated.
An apocalyptic swarm of wasps is sweeping across this palace also known as Lion’s Rock from its south-west corner, and all tourists must descend to the safety of the lower plateau; this is where two gigantic big-cat paws carved from rock remain in almost perfect condition 1,600 years after King Kashyapa instructed they be built at the entrance to his citadel.
I’m travelling with a group of agents who are TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassadors, and our time exploring Sigiriya has been cut short because another visiting group was not practising responsible tourism. Their failure to adhere to the “speak quietly” rule triggered the wasp attack, the mistake highlighting one of the many reasons tourists should respect the environments and communities they visit.
Luckily we’re touring Sri Lanka with responsible tourism champion G Touring – which consists of the Just You and Travelsphere brands – and so our local Walkers Tours guide Demetrius Silva ensures we are always well briefed.
MAJESTIC MOMENTS
During a Jeep safari in Kaudulla National Park is no exception as we remain in our vehicles at all times, a respectful distance from a herd of elephants. How many can we see? I count a whopping 106, with some of them as young as three weeks old. The friendly giants are either bathing in a shallow reservoir or grazing on the green grassland, all the while keeping a watchful eye on their calves. The youngsters bound around clumsily until called to attention by Mum’s bellowing trumpet. It’s such a special scene, witnessing it swiftly becomes many of the Ambassadors’ trip highlights.
“I’ve never seen elephants in the wild before,” says Travel Counsellor Catherine Summers. “It was amazing to observe them but not intrude on their lives; they’re such majestic animals, they should be able to live in peace.”
Unfortunately in Sri Lanka not all elephants live in peace. This year more than 60 elephant deaths due to human interaction were recorded between January and April alone, while, taking the rural village Bedi Wewa as an example, in recent times more than 70 residents have been killed by these huge mammals. We learn this during a special off-programme visit to the community in which one citizen, Samit, shows us how a 5km-long electric fence around the village installed last year has ended the conflict and ensured both elephants and humans stay safe.
The project is a pilot funded by Tui Care Foundation and Sri Lankan-owned Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts, so while the experience isn’t currently on Just You or Travelsphere’s books, it’s a perfect example of how tourism can be used as a force for good.
COMMUNITY CALLS
On arrival in Sri Lanka’s cultural capital of Kandy, our group visits a tourism-funded project that is on G Touring itineraries and sits alongside a look inside the country’s most significant Buddhist site, The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
The project, Planeterra’s social enterprise Sthree Cafe and Craft Shop, was launched in 2007 and is just a 10-minute drive from the temple – it’s a beloved local place transforming the lives of women and underprivileged youths. A lady dressed in a gorgeous purple-and-gold sari greets us to talk through the lunch menu consisting of a spicy-yet-creamy daal, red rice, beans and a mango curry. Prepared by by entrepreneurial female chefs and served on a banana leaf by a young boy with learning difficulties, the meal is meaningful not just for those of us who eat it.
There are 10 female employees at Sthree, with 76 female entrepreneurs handmaking crafts from found objects to sell in the adjoining shop. After devouring our lunches we browse the clothing, ornaments and accessories available to buy, leaving the premises happy with our hoards. My purchases include a necklace made from metal ring tabs, coasters crafted from discarded newspaper pages and painted-cloth earrings, with all profits going back to the makers.
“I [purchased] memorabilia because I knew it was going to a good cause, and it felt really rewarding to be helping out [the women] and their communities,” explains Barrhead Travel’s Jennifer McCartney.
“I’ll be encouraging my clients to come to Sri Lanka with G Touring, because [on a Just You or Travelsphere tour] you can see local vendors really show off their talents and learn how they’re generating income for their communities, plus help them succeed.”
It becomes clear this is a common theme on Just You and Travelsphere tours when we explore Sri Lanka’s signature trade of tea making at Blue Field Tea Factory and glean insight into natural medicines at Oak Ray Isiwara Ayurvedic Village.
Many operators would do well to take inspiration from these experiences as the travel industry continues on its responsible tourism journey. It’s important for us to not just help tourists reduce their negative impacts but encourage them to make a positive mark on the destinations they visit; and ultimately, leave a destination in a better place than they found it.
Watch the TTG Sustainable Travel Ambassadors G Touring fam highlights and hear agents’ selling tips for the trip:
Book it:
G Touring offers four Sri Lanka itineraries. Travelsphere’s 13-day Highlights of Sri Lanka tour costs from £2,849pp, while prices for Just You’s 14-day Pearl of the Indian Ocean tour for solo travellers starts from £3,749pp. Costs include return flights from London, guides, accommodation, meals and in-destination transfers. Tips excluded.
- justyou.co.uk
- travelsphere.co.uk
This fam trip took place as part of the TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes programme.
SUPPORTIVE STAYS
The Ambassadors stayed at Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts properties running projects to protect people and the planet:
Habarana Village by Cinnamon
The “Bees That Sustain Lives” project at Habarana Village by Cinnamon teaches locals how to run a responsible beekeeping business. It also contributes to the Pasal Diriya School Meal Programme, which, as of 31 March 2023 had provided 2,951 children with nutritious meals daily and installed 10 school kitchens. It does impressive work in elephant conservation too (by monitoring 347 elephants currently) and became Travelife Gold-certified last year.
Cinnamon Bey Beruwala
Alongside Habarana Village by Cinnamon, this coastal hotel spearheads a Good Agriculture Practices Initiative designed to support small-scale farmers by teaching them sustainable agricultural practices. It’s also achieved LEED-2009 Gold certification.
Cinnamon Citadel Kandy
Travelife Gold-certified, Cinnamon Citadel Kandy also supports the Good Agriculture Practices Initiative and is dedicated to diversity and inclusion. It’s committed to growing its number of female staff members, sourced from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, to 24% by 2025.
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