Sri Lanka honours hundred SMEs championing sustainable tourism

One of the SME entrepreneurs receiving the certificate from UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka Azusa Kubota

By Rukaiya Riza

One hundred local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) received the National Sustainable Tourism Certification (NSTC) by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under its initiative Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN). It is one of the largest efforts of Sri Lanka to go green.

Such awards honour the businesses that have adopted environmentally, socially and economically sustainable business models in the tourism sector with global standards of sustainability and supporting Sri Lanka’s green recovery. Importantly, 27 of the certified SMEs are owned by women, which are five times more than the average in the industry, indicating an attempt to reduce gender disparities and inclusive development.

UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka, Azusa Kubota congratulated the recipients and stressed on the significance of inclusive, responsible tourism. She said, “Since 2018, BIOFIN has collated with SLTDA to launch the NSTC, which is in line with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. More than 75 percent of businesses in tourism are SMEs, and they play a decisive role in post-crisis recovery and equitable development.”

Kubota has also showcased some of the most important milestones in sustainability so far, including the launch of the Sustainable Tourism Office with SLTDA in 2023 as well as Sri Lanka being aligned with major global frameworks, including the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework. She recommended that people engage in strategic investment by reminding them, “Sri Lanka should invest 12.5 percent of GDP per year to meet the SDGs by 2030,” and urged a transition to a whole-of-society approach to financing the ecosystem and climate action.

The government remained committed to being sustainable as expressed by the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Ruwan Ranasinghe, “Tourism does not only involve construction of large hotels and increase in numbers as she mentioned. It is about conservation of our values, heritage, ecology and communities. These SMEs have thought outside the day-to-day dealings and established a benchmark on how we desire a future to become.”

SLTDA Chairman Buddika Hewawasam said, “What we want in development is inclusivity in tourism with regard to the various ethnic groups, villages and the differently-able individuals should all be given an access and opportunity.”

Ayurveda, biodiversity, and cultural heritage become key focus areas in the NSTC initiative, which will assist in establishing Sri Lanka as an international example of sustainable tourism that can be organized based on local businesses and community-driven innovation.