Abstract:
Though tremendous economic progress has been recorded through mass tourism, it
does indeed give rise to environmental and socio-economic issues. It has legitimated
the formation of sustainable forms of tourism as Ecotourism. It is a widely recognized
type of tourism with low impact on the environment with the mechanism to diversify
local economies. In order to establish a sustainable form of tourism aimed at longterm
benefits, it is necessary to study the regions, identify the tourism potential, and
propose an appropriate way of developing it. In that perspective, the study has
identified the eco-touristic potential of Paalameenmadu in Batticaloa, intended to
raise awareness of tourism development among local communities, stakeholders,
administrators, and policymakers for future considerations. The study was designed
as a mixed approach carried out using both primary and secondary data. Furthermore,
a SWOT analysis is also used to assess the eco touristic potential of the area. The
study's findings indicate that the destination's beautiful landscapes, rich fauna and
flora, locational importance along the bird migration route, historical significance,
and rich cultural diversity are significant potentials for developing ecotourism.
Contrarily, there are challenges such as inadequate promotion, lack of entrepreneurs
and staff exceptionally trained with the knowledge and skills of alternate tourism,
poor awareness, segregation of the local community, inadequate coordination among
various stakeholders etc. Although Sri Lanka has strategic development plans, it is
recommended to carry out studies to understand the region based destination
resources and to propose and promote alternative tourism mechanisms and practices
to achieve sustainable development.
