Supporting Tourism in Sri Lanka

As noon approached, all five moved under the shade of the tree.

Tashi pulled out his water bottle and had a sip before starting the conversation.

“Actually, there is one great example of how local institutions and communities can play a major role in the recovery of MSMEs after a disaster.

In 2004, the small community of Arugam Bay in Sri Lanka suffered greatly due to the Indian-Ocean tsunami. More than 200 people were killed, 500 houses were destroyed and the local economy, based on tourism and fishing, was devastated by the destruction of the fishing fleet and beach-front hotels, shops, and restaurants. Damage to MSMEs was regarded as very severe and support to the sector needed to be a central component of the recovery strategy in the area, not only due to their importance in the local economy but also because of the character and identity that small businesses gave to the overall tourism experience in Arugam Bay (Robinson & Jarvie, 2008).

In the post-disaster recovery phase, institutions that supported MSMEs focused on immediate needs and planned to improve business operations and positioning in the future. A large hotel and a travel agency provided training in skills such as cooking, food and beverage service, housekeeping, and management. Then the Arugam Bay Tourism Association also widened its MSMEs reach in the tourism industry, developed strategic objectives, and supported its members in various activities such as accessing finance (Robinson & Jarvie, 2008).

At the same time, initiatives by central institutions that did not sufficiently include or consult local communities in their recovery processes failed. Their initiatives, such as declaring coastal buffer zones prevented the legal reconstruction of houses and businesses previously located in coastal areas. Similarly, the reconstruction plan developed by the centralized Urban Development Authority that focused on large investments for an upmarket and boutique tourism destination also failed. This is because the government did not recognize the informal MSMEs that were most affected as legitimate predisaster businesses. The shutdown of many MSMEs was locally known as a ‘second tsunami’ (Robinson & Jarvie, 2008).”

“Hearing about local businesses supporting each other is very encouraging, maybe in later discussions, we can also share our evaluation of climate risks and plans for making our businesses climate-resilient so that we can all learn from each other.”

“That’s a brilliant idea Lalima! Despite having different natures of business, I’m sure certain aspects of your plans for climate resiliency would be common and help each other out. Also, as we keep our discussion going, it might help you all later to get connected to other youth groups in the region. This can be beneficial to expand your network, establish partnerships and learn from like-minded youths in the region. Some youth-focused initiatives that I am aware of are Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform – in short YECAP, and Youth Co:Lab.

If I remember correctly, YECAP was established in 2020 by UNDP Asia-Pacific and UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre for Asia-Pacific, RCC Bangkok, in collaboration with UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific, UNICEF South Asia, British Council, YOUNGO, Movers Programme and 2030 Youth Force as a safe and inclusive space for youth across Asia and the Pacific to meaningfully engage in climate action (Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform, 2023).

Similarly, Youth Co:Lab was co-created in 2017 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Citi Foundation. It aims to establish a common agenda for countries in the Asia-Pacific region to empower and invest in youth so that they can accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation, and entrepreneurship. (Youth Co:Lab, 2023).

I suggest you all have a look at the websites and their initiatives. There can be opportunities for you to be a part of which will further your learning of the burning climate agendas in the region and actions that youths – like you – are focusing on.”

Baisali took out her notebook and noted down the names of the YECAP and Youth Co:Lab.

“I’ll read about them on the internet once I get back.”

Visit the YECAP website here.

Visit the Youth Co: Lab website here.