Of elephants and tourists: Sustainable wildlife tourism in Sri Lanka

Srilal Miththapala, eTN Sri Lanka ambassador, delivered a talk on “Sri Lanka Tourism & Sustainability with special emphasis on Elephants” at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Canberra recently.

The audience consisting of travel writers, tourism industry representatives, as well as wildlife and elephant enthusiasts enjoyed the informative and insightful presentation with video clips of elephants in Sri Lanka.

This is the second talk given by Srilal Miththapala at the High Commission and the third in the series of tourism promotional events hosted by the High Commission to provide the tourism industry, travel writers, and wildlife experts in Canberra an opportunity to see a glimpse of what Sri Lanka has to offer in terms of wildlife and sustainable tourism.

After a brief overview of Sri Lanka’s topography and tourism factors, Miththapala focused on the Sri Lankan elephant which is fast becoming an icon for Sri Lanka tourism. He described the cultural and religious importance of this special animal in the country as well as its demographics, behavior, and social life. He also entertained the audience with stories of personal encounters with these gentle giants revered in the island nation, along with images and videos.

High Commissioner Somasundaram Skandakumar, in introducing the speaker, highlighted his vast experience in the hospitality industry and in developing sustainable tourism practices in Sri Lanka.

A very lively Q and A session followed with many questions from travel writers and journalists in the audience.

The audience was able to interact with the speaker at the end while savoring Sri Lankan tea and delicacies.