Working towards this goal is a group of enthusiastic outdoor sports lovers led by Thilak Weerasinghe, Chairman of Lanka Sportsreizen and President of the Adventure Operators Association (AOA) and Baron De Livera, President of the Windsurfing, Kayaking and Canoeing Association, who are sparing no efforts to lure this new and growing breed of tourists out there who they say prefer action packed adventurous holidays to just sun and sand.
As they point out, "The modern day tourist wants much more than just sand, sea and beaches. We have to lure them with out of the ordinary, action based holidays and give them a holiday they will never forget."
They are convinced that Sri Lanka is the perfect location for such holidays. "Sri Lanka has all the potential of becoming the future destination for water sports lovers, mountain climbers, windsurfers and those who enjoy canoeing, boating, yachting, fishing as well as nature lovers and wild life enthusiasts - instead of just a holiday location for sun, sand and beach lovers. All that is required to make this a reality is to harness all our natural resources and protect our environment. It would give our tourist industry a boost which it needs right now", says Weerasinghe, who set up his action based company, Sportsreizen a decade ago, for just this purpose.
Not expensive
Judging from the success of his own pioneering efforts at introducing several new water based sports such as kayaking, canoeing,windsurfing . white water rafting along with land based action activities like mountaineering, hiking, and cycling, Weerasinghe is convinced
that adventure based holidays is the answer to putting our tourist industry back on track, at practically no cost. His colleague, De Livera agrees. As they explain, "It will not be an expensive exercise, since we have all the infrastructure we require for such activities provided to us free of charge - by Mother Nature. It is merely a question of harnessing these gifts of nature at the minimum of costs."
As they rightly observe, Sri Lanka has perhaps more facilities for water based sports than most countries in the world, with ideal weather conditions and consistent winds all year round unlike in most other countries. "We are also blessed with an abundance of lakes, lagoons and rivers in the most picturesque settings. But these resources have to be tapped."
Comparing with their own experiences of water skiing, windsurfing, yachting and canoeing on our waterways in the past, both Weerasinghe and De Livera are deeply concerned at the extent of pollution and damage that has been done to our eco system in recent years, which has resulted in de-forestation and silting of natural lakes and rivers. "At the turn of the century, many of these waterways were used for transport and recreation especially by our former Colonial masters who even wrote books and perpetuated their beauty in paintings, today these natural resources have fallen into neglect.
Silt and weeds have clogged their waters and prevented any form of transport, let alone recreational activities such as boating, canoeing, fishing and even water skiing", points out De Livera who says his love affair with the waterways in Sri Lanka began some fifty years ago.
Pollution
He recalls how in the early fifties, he formed a Motor Boat Association persuaded by Dr. A.T.S. Paul who had brought down a speed boat. "We used to race along the Beira and in the Bolgoda lake. Then the rivers and lagoons were crystal clear and the lakes were like sheets of glass".
Both he and Weerasinghe also cite the old Dutch canal that flows through Hendela to the Negombo lagoon and beyond upto Chilaw as another example where pollution had ruined the splendour of a once breathtakingly beautiful stretch of water. "Even now the Negombo-Chilaw stretch of the lagoon is extremely picturesque studded with lovely mangroves which would delight any nature lover.
But there is so much silt that the boat actually touches the ground at time on this particular stretch. You dare not cruise especially at low tide", they say."If our lagoons are dredged regularly and kept free of silt and garbage, they could easily become some of the chief attractions for water sports lovers all over the world", says De Livera as he shows me a picture of a windsurfer riding the crest of a huge wave in the middle of the Puttlam lagoon. Windsurfing on this lagoon as well as some of the other lagoons in this country is as good as windsurfing on the sea" he says. "You get the feeling you are riding the waves of the ocean."
Both of them are eagerly looking forward to witnessing the first Adventure Race in Sri Lanka scheduled to be held in April, facilitated by the Tourist Board and organised by Adventure Centre Asia. As they point out, adventure races are a new concept in multi discipline sports and will most certainly prove to the world that Sri Lanka has probably the world's best potential for this kind of event.
New image
They reiterate the fact that Sri Lanka's future lies in promoting this new image of the country to the modern day tourist.They also share the view that the rivers, lakes and lagoons which have been neglected could easily become some of the chief attractions for outdoor sportsmen.
With the prospect of peace close at hand,and their belief that Sri Lanka's future lies in promoting this new image as a destination for adventure lovers, they have turned their eyes to the Northern and Eastern parts of the island. "The Jaffna lagoon and the Nilaweli beach are ideal for water based activities like windsurfing, canoeing and kayaking," they say. Both Weerasinghe and De Livera are now seeking to create awareness (via posters etc) of these new and exciting attractions which Sri Lanka can offer to future visitors from abroad.
Once this message gets through they believe that a holiday in Sri Lanka will be more than just sea, sun and beaches for future travellers.
(www.sundayobserver.lk - Sunday, 02 March 2003)
