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Tourism planning for Kandy, Sri Lanka : a framework

University of British Columbia

The city of Kandy, located in the central hill-region of Sri Lanka, is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Both foreign and domestic travelers are attracted to the city's natural beauty, mild climate, historical and cultural significance, and wide variety of attractions. This thesis develops a framework of recommendations for tourism planning based upon a thorough analysis of the various elements of tourism in Kandy. This is achieved through an examination of the historical, social, physical, economic, political, cultural and institutional dimensions of tourism within Kandy and by exploring the nature of the linkages between these elements. The results of this study are derived from several types of research, including an analysis of statistical sources, a review of the tourism planning literature, participatory observation of the tourist experience in Kandy, interviews with individuals involved in the tourism industry in Kandy, a tourism planning workshop held in Kandy, and a questionnaire given to a sample of tourists. Tourism development in Kandy has not been accompanied by the anticipated scale and distribution of benefits to the local population. In addition, a number of negative social, cultural and environmental impacts have resulted from tourism which have adversely affected the quality of life of residents. If pursued as it has been in the past, future tourism development in Kandy could result in a magnification of these negative impacts, thereby placing further demands on the natural resources and municipal infrastructure systems, and leading to an increase in undesirable cultural and social change. Without appropriate planning, increased tourism development could result in degradation in the tourism product and a decline in the tourism industry. This thesis argues that if tourism development for Kandy is planned in a manner that balances the principles of economic viability, environmental consciousness, cultural sensitivity, social responsibility and tourist satisfaction, it could potentially lead to minimized negative repercussions, magnified positive impacts, and an improved quality of life for the local population.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-06-25

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/9645

Planning

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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