By: Staff Writer
February 15, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) is gearing up to introduce a fresh tourism brand — the Buddhist Trail, to tap into the rich cultural and religious heritage of the country.
The initiative aims to highlight Sri Lanka’s deep-rooted Buddhist heritage and promote it as a prominent pilgrimage destination in a global scale.
“Sri Lanka, as a Buddhist country, holds immense potential to establish a unique tourism brand that resonates globally,” SLTPB Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu told journalists yesterday.
At the developmental stage, the Buddhist Trail project aims to emulate the success of similar initiatives like India’s Buddhist tourism circuit and the Ramayana Trail.
Gajabahu outlined the modality of the Buddhist Trail, highlighting its focus on significant Buddhist sites countrywide.
With rich heritage, breath-taking landscapes and profound spiritual significance, Sri Lanka can emerge as a leading destination for Buddhist pilgrimages and cultural exploration on the global tourism map,” he added.
Noting that countries such as India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Cambodia are among the primary target markets due to their historical and cultural ties with Buddhism, he underscored promoting the Buddhist Trail, which extends beyond Asia to include traditional source markets in Europe, US and Australia.
”The decision to include Europe, US and Australia stems from the growing interest in Buddhist philosophy and spirituality among Western tourists.
By capitalising on this trend, Sri Lanka Tourism aims to diversify our offerings and attract a broader spectrum of visitors seeking spiritual enlightenment and cultural immersion,” he explained.
Sri Lanka is planning to boost Buddhist tourism by linking temples in the country with those in East Asia, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Minister Sabry have initiated a temple-to-temple program where 100 Sri Lanka temples will be linked with counterparts in the Association of South East Asian Nations region.
“Tourism development will get a lot of growth with the temple-to-temple program,” Minister Ali Sabry said.Along with the delegation of monks, five travel agents from Vietnam were also invited.
Under the first phase of the Temple-to-temple programs, several monks from Sri Lanka had received invitations from Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Vietnam the Foreign Ministry said.
The Temple-to-Temple diplomacy program will be extended to Singapore, Japan, Thailand and Cambodia during the second phrase of the program.
