Tuesday May 20, 2008
Sri Lanka is trying to promote ayurveda in the hope that the soothing herbal therapies will attract travellers looking for relaxation and rejuvenation and boost its tourism industry.

“Our tourism sector is a combination of nature and culture and ayurveda touches both. With ayurvedic tourism becoming a booming industry in the region, we are making concerted efforts to streamline it to attract more tourists to our country,” Sri Lanka Tourism Board head Renton de Alwis told IANS.

“Besides Kerala, Sri Lanka is the next best recognised spot for this field in the world.

It will be a totally different experience for the tourists as ayurveda gives them a new lifestyle,” De Alwis said.

He said the Tourism Ministry is working with the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine in this regard and conducting training workshops for ayurveda practitioners and therapists to set high standards of professionalism in dealing with tourists from various countries.

“We want to standardise the ayurvedic practice in the country to ensure the maintenance of a high quality of service. We do not want unqualified practitioners to cheat tourists in the name of ayurveda,” De Alwis said.

According to the monthly statistical report released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, there has been a marginal increase of 0.7 per cent in tourist arrivals for the first three months of 2008, though it is nearly a nine per cent growth when compared to the previous year.

“Right now we are doing all right, but we could do much better,” De Alwis said.