{"id":3019,"date":"2025-08-16T09:31:21","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T02:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/reorienting-sustainable-tourism-development-in-the-post-pandemic-era-global-perspectives-and-lessons-for-sri-lanka\/"},"modified":"2025-08-16T09:31:21","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T02:31:21","slug":"reorienting-sustainable-tourism-development-in-the-post-pandemic-era-global-perspectives-and-lessons-for-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/reorienting-sustainable-tourism-development-in-the-post-pandemic-era-global-perspectives-and-lessons-for-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"Reorienting Sustainable Tourism Development in the Post-Pandemic Era: Global Perspectives and Lessons for Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Over the past three years, the global tourism industry has faced unprecedented disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic and concurrent economic shocks, including the crisis in Sri Lanka. The 2022 UNWTO World Tourism Day theme, \u201cRethinking Tourism,\u201d underscored the need to reassess and redesign the sector toward sustainability, resilience, and inclusion  <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Drawing on the webinar \u201cUNWTO World Tourism Day, 2022 at UOC \u2013 Way Forward for Sustainable Tourism,\u201d organized by the Department of Economics, University of Colombo, this paper synthesizes expert perspectives on the post-pandemic context, emerging trends, and actionable strategies for sustainable tourism development at a global scale, with targeted lessons for Sri Lanka <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Recommendations emphasize evidence-based decision-making, crisis readiness, crowding\/overtourism management, collaborative governance, knowledge system strengthening, technology investment, regional cooperation, and\u2014critically\u2014empowering women in the sector.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Introduction<\/h2>\n<p>Tourism is one of the world\u2019s most significant economic sectors, employing roughly one in ten people globally and contributing over 20% of GDP in many countries. Recent years have revealed the sector\u2019s structural vulnerability to global shocks such as COVID-19 and localized economic crises. In response, UNWTO designated \u201cRethinking Tourism\u201d as the theme of World Tourism Day 2022.  <\/p>\n<p>The webinar \u201cUNWTO World Tourism Day, 2022 at UOC \u2013 Way Forward for Sustainable Tourism,\u201d hosted by the Department of Economics, University of Colombo, aimed to mobilize evidence-based knowledge and practical experience to revisit priorities, actions, and good practices for Sri Lanka\u2019s sustainable tourism pathway. Speakers were invited to clarify:<br \/>\n\u2022 Their definitions of \u201crethinking tourism\u201d and its links to sustainable development;<br \/>\n\u2022 Priority proposals and recommendations for resilient growth and sustainable tourism;<br \/>\n\u2022 Transferable lessons from global good practices for resilient and sustainable development. <\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"UNWTO World Tourism Day, 2022 at UOC - Webinar on Way Forward for Sustainable Tourism\" width=\"1020\" height=\"574\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EZXM9uuKmJo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Context and Current Challenges in Tourism<\/h2>\n<p>COVID-19 severely disrupted global tourism, making it one of the hardest-hit sectors. Although 2022 saw strong signs of recovery\u2014with international arrivals doubling from 2021 and some destinations surpassing pre-pandemic levels\u2014several persistent challenges remain:<br \/>\n\u2022 Climate change: High vulnerability demands urgent decarbonization and structural transition.<br \/>\nTransformational forces: The rise of the sharing economy, overtourism, and demographic shifts continue to strain global tourism systems.<br \/>\n\u2022 Shifting behaviors and attitudes: Community sentiment toward tourism is evolving, while travelers increasingly acknowledge the social and environmental costs of uncontrolled mass tourism.<br \/>\n\u2022 A management paradigm shift: A transition is required from crisis management (reacting to sudden events like COVID-19) to transition management (addressing gradual, long-term issues such as climate change). This calls for a model shift over the coming decade supported by strong public leadership, evidence-based policy, industry collaboration, and sustainable innovation. <\/p>\n<h2>Defining \u201cRethinking Tourism\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>Experts concur that \u201crethinking tourism\u201d is not about coining a new label but about the rigorous and effective application of long-standing sustainable tourism principles. With a three-decade track record, sustainable tourism provides a robust foundation for balanced development that meets the needs of current visitors and host communities while safeguarding the capacity of future generations.<\/p>\n<p>According to Dr. Maryam Shakila, \u201crethinking tourism\u201d entails reassessing and promoting tourism as a responsible and sustainable product\u2014positioning it as a driver of economic growth and sustainable development, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 and economic crises. The pandemic exposed the interdependence and fragility of the tourism ecosystem, showing that tourism can both stimulate economic activity and, if unmanaged, erode culture, heritage, and broader social wellbeing.  <\/p>\n<h2><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3014\" src=\"https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Dinh-huong-lai-phat-trien-du-lich-ben-vung-trong-ky-nguyen-hau-dai-dich-Goc-nhin-toan-cau-va-bai-hoc-cho-Sri-Lanka.jpg\" alt=\"Reorienting Sustainable Tourism Development in the Post-Pandemic Era: Global Perspectives and Lessons for Sri Lanka\" width=\"790\" height=\"526\" srcset=\"https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Dinh-huong-lai-phat-trien-du-lich-ben-vung-trong-ky-nguyen-hau-dai-dich-Goc-nhin-toan-cau-va-bai-hoc-cho-Sri-Lanka.jpg 790w, https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Dinh-huong-lai-phat-trien-du-lich-ben-vung-trong-ky-nguyen-hau-dai-dich-Goc-nhin-toan-cau-va-bai-hoc-cho-Sri-Lanka-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Dinh-huong-lai-phat-trien-du-lich-ben-vung-trong-ky-nguyen-hau-dai-dich-Goc-nhin-toan-cau-va-bai-hoc-cho-Sri-Lanka-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 790px) 100vw, 790px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2>Trends and Lessons from International Practice<\/h2>\n<h3>Lessons from Dubai<\/h3>\n<p>Dubai\u2019s success stems from an international lifestyle interwoven with local culture, world-class retail, and distinctive activities (indoor skiing, camel rides, Arab architecture, swimming with dolphins). Low linguistic and cultural barriers\u2014reflecting more than 190 nationalities in the UAE\u2014also contribute. Emerging trends include:<br \/>\n\u2022 Bleisure travel (business\u2013leisure trips);<br \/>\nMedical tourism;<br \/>\nAutomation and personalization (self-service check-in, contactless payments);<br \/>\nVirtual-reality-enabled previews of hotels\/rooms and attractions;<br \/>\nActive eco-tourism (hiking, cycling, kayaking, rural and riverside destinations);<br \/>\nTransformative travel;<br \/>\nExperience tourism focused on once-in-a-lifetime or emotionally resonant experiences (e.g., Dubai Shopping Festival);<br \/>\nLonger stays enabled by remote work;<br \/>\nStaycations and nearby vacations;<br \/>\nSolo travel;<br \/>\nLocal experiences tied to festivals and cultural activities;<br \/>\nCustomer-experience optimization to cultivate loyalty and repeat visitation.<\/p>\n<h3>Lessons from the Maldives<\/h3>\n<p>Despite limited resources (sea, sun, sand), the Maldives has sustained and amplified its destination brand and global appeal through:<br \/>\n\u2022 Safety and controlled isolation: The \u201cone-island, one-resort\u201d model and stringent health protocols created a \u201csafe haven\u201d during and after the pandemic;<br \/>\nRepositioning: Broadening from a luxury\/honeymoon image to community-based tourism and guesthouses to enhance local benefit through experiential offerings;<br \/>\nConsistent policy coordination: Despite political volatility, tourism\u2014as the economy\u2019s linchpin\u2014remained a national priority; government, private sector, NGOs, and the public acted in concert to uphold health and safety rules and promote tourism via campaigns such as \u201cThe sun will shine again\u201d and \u201cRediscover Maldives: The sun of life\u201d;<br \/>\nBeyond routine roles: Senior leaders engaged hands-on, subordinating individual ego to the sector\u2019s shared objective.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3016\" src=\"https:\/\/riat.vn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/water-suite-aerial-view.jpg\" alt=\"Maldives\" width=\"900\" height=\"500\"><\/p>\n<h2>Strategic Recommendations for Sustainable and Resilient Tourism<\/h2>\n<h3>Support evidence-based decision-making<\/h3>\n<p>Knowledge, information, and continuous monitoring are the foundation of a credible approach to sustainable tourism.<br \/>\nExample: a hotel needs to measure its carbon emissions to reduce them effectively; a destination marketing organization should consult local residents about the forms of tourism they prefer.<br \/>\nEstablish and operate Sustainable Tourism Observatories (e.g., at Curtin University, Australia) to support continuous information gathering on sustainable tourism development.<\/p>\n<h3>Preparedness for crises<\/h3>\n<p>Crises should be viewed as a process, not a single event.<br \/>\nIt is important to link crisis response with recovery, prevention, and preparedness; there are always opportunities to learn from crises.<br \/>\nIn health crises, hard facts about how well a destination manages public health are crucial to attract visitors back.<br \/>\nMake travel easy and convenient again, minimizing travelers\u2019 financial risk (e.g., flexible cancellation policies, even if they are more costly).<\/p>\n<h3>Avoiding overtourism<\/h3>\n<p>Even during recovery, visitor numbers can quickly exceed a destination\u2019s carrying capacity and create problems.<br \/>\nMaintain a delicate balance between too many and too few visitors. Destinations should respect their limits, as in South Tyrol, Italy, where the number of licensed beds is capped to sustain tourism quality and residents\u2019 quality of life.<\/p>\n<h3>Ensuring collaborative tourism governance<\/h3>\n<p>Enable local communities to participate in the tourism development process.<br \/>\nA typical example is the Maldives opening local islands to community-based tourism alongside the traditional resort model.<\/p>\n<h3>Strengthening the tourism knowledge system<\/h3>\n<p>Seize opportunities for exchange and comparison among destinations, and especially among tourism research institutes and universities.<br \/>\nThere is strong potential for cooperation in the Indian Ocean context on topics such as aviation, marine\/coastal tourism, regional development, biodiversity conservation, and the links between food and tourism (e.g., tea tourism in Sri Lanka).<\/p>\n<h3>Investment in physical and technological infrastructure, innovation, and AI<\/h3>\n<p>The pandemic underscored the need to focus on safety and hygiene. Invest in physical and technological infrastructure to foster innovation, explore Artificial Intelligence (AI), and ensure superior safety and hygiene in the tourism experience.<br \/>\nProvide training to implement and monitor policies across the tourism value chain.<br \/>\nDevelop the necessary human resources and infrastructure; advance digital transformation and analytics.<\/p>\n<h3>Emphasizing sustainability and inclusion<\/h3>\n<p>Sustainability must become a core element. Research indicates that 70% of travelers expect the industry to provide more environmentally friendly options, and 46% of European travelers are concerned about waste management.<br \/>\nEnsure that tourism is for everyone, promoting inclusive growth and development.<br \/>\nMeasures focusing on safety and health must be communicated clearly.<\/p>\n<h3>Regional cooperation<\/h3>\n<p>Sri Lanka can explore regional cooperation to build an industry recovery strategy, viewing neighboring countries as complementary partners rather than threats.<br \/>\nExample: combine experiences in the Maldives (sea), Sri Lanka (hills and tea estates), and Nepal (the Himalayas) to create diverse and attractive packages.<br \/>\nConsider targeting South Asian travelers and relying less on European and North American markets.<\/p>\n<h3>Repositioning Sri Lanka\u2019s brand<\/h3>\n<p>Sri Lanka has unique potential beyond the traditional images of beaches, heritage, or major events such as Kandy Perahera.<br \/>\nA new branding and marketing strategy is needed that reflects how visitors perceive Sri Lanka.<br \/>\nPromote wellness tourism\u2014Ayurveda and physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing\u2014drawing on local traditions and culture.<br \/>\nElevate educational and experiential homestays: not only for budget travelers but also as opportunities for learning and deep cultural immersion.<br \/>\nLink gemstones with tourism by highlighting their healing and spiritual attributes.<br \/>\nDiversify destinations: promote cultural and spiritual sites beyond Kandy, such as Kataragama and Jaffna.<br \/>\nBuild an overall Sri Lanka brand: a marketing slogan for the entire country rather than relying solely on individual brands or events.<\/p>\n<h3>Enhancing women\u2019s participation in tourism<\/h3>\n<p>Women constitute a majority (54%) of global travelers and often make decisions about subsequent holidays; they seek innovation, value safety, and often travel in groups.<br \/>\nIn Sri Lanka, although women account for 52.4% of the population, only 9% serve as ministers or hold roles within the tourism sector.<br \/>\nAdopt flexible policies to enable women\u2019s participation; encourage home-based micro-industries, handicraft businesses, and community guesthouses.<br \/>\nOvercome cultural and social norms that restrict women\u2019s participation; change perceptions and attitudes, and re-educate teachers and the public about the sector\u2019s potential and women\u2019s safety at work.<br \/>\nThe tourism industry should offer long-term career prospects for women to retain capable personnel, rather than losing them by their mid-20s.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Ng\u00e0nh du l\u1ecbch \u0111ang trong giai \u0111o\u1ea1n \u0111\u1ecbnh h\u00ecnh l\u1ea1i quan tr\u1ecdng. Th\u00e1ch th\u1ee9c hi\u1ec7n t\u1ea1i c\u1ea7n \u0111\u01b0\u1ee3c nh\u00ecn nh\u01b0 c\u01a1 h\u1ed9i \u0111\u1ec3 t\u00ecm ki\u1ebfm chi\u1ebfn l\u01b0\u1ee3c v\u00e0 ch\u00ednh s\u00e1ch hi\u1ec7u qu\u1ea3 nh\u1eb1m ph\u1ee5c h\u1ed3i ki\u00ean c\u01b0\u1eddng v\u00e0 t\u0103ng tr\u01b0\u1edfng bao tr\u00f9m\u2014tr\u00ean n\u1ec1n t\u1ea3ng qu\u1ea3n l\u00fd v\u00e0 ph\u00e1t tri\u1ec3n du l\u1ecbch b\u1ec1n v\u1eefng. \u0110i\u1ec1u n\u00e0y \u0111\u00f2i h\u1ecfi s\u1ef1 tham gia ch\u00e2n th\u00e0nh c\u1ee7a t\u1ea5t c\u1ea3 c\u00e1c b\u00ean li\u00ean quan: ch\u00ednh ph\u1ee7, khu v\u1ef1c c\u00f4ng \u2013 t\u01b0, t\u1ed5 ch\u1ee9c phi ch\u00ednh ph\u1ee7 v\u00e0 c\u1ed9ng \u0111\u1ed3ng. B\u1eb1ng c\u00e1ch t\u1eadp trung v\u00e0o ra quy\u1ebft \u0111\u1ecbnh d\u1ef1a tr\u00ean b\u1eb1ng ch\u1ee9ng, s\u1eb5n s\u00e0ng cho kh\u1ee7ng ho\u1ea3ng, tr\u00e1nh qu\u00e1 t\u1ea3i, th\u00fac \u0111\u1ea9y qu\u1ea3n tr\u1ecb h\u1ee3p t\u00e1c, t\u0103ng c\u01b0\u1eddng tri th\u1ee9c, \u0111\u1ea7u t\u01b0 c\u00f4ng ngh\u1ec7, h\u1ee3p t\u00e1c khu v\u1ef1c v\u00e0 \u0111\u1eb7c bi\u1ec7t l\u00e0 n\u00e2ng cao vai tr\u00f2 c\u1ee7a ph\u1ee5 n\u1eef, Sri Lanka v\u00e0 c\u00e1c qu\u1ed1c gia kh\u00e1c c\u00f3 th\u1ec3 x\u00e2y d\u1ef1ng m\u1ed9t ng\u00e0nh du l\u1ecbch v\u1eeba ph\u00e1t tri\u1ec3n v\u1ec1 kinh t\u1ebf, v\u1eeba b\u1ec1n v\u1eefng v\u1ec1 m\u00f4i tr\u01b0\u1eddng, v\u1eeba c\u00f4ng b\u1eb1ng v\u1ec1 x\u00e3 h\u1ed9i.   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the past three years, the global tourism industry has faced unprecedented disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic and concurrent economic shocks, including the crisis in Sri Lanka. The 2022 UNWTO World Tourism Day theme, \u201cRethinking Tourism,\u201d underscored the need to reassess and redesign the sector toward sustainability, resilience, and inclusion Drawing on the webinar&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3015,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[348,402,401],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sustainable-tourism-en","category-tourism-news","category-webinar-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3019\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riat.vn\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}