Sri Lanka to Launch South Asia's First Dedicated Sustainable Tourism Association

Sri Lanka is set to become the first country in South Asia with a private, non-governmental body dedicated entirely to sustainable tourism. The Sustainable Tourism Association of Sri Lanka — known as SusTour — will formally launch in August 2026, with the event to be inaugurated by Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe, Deputy Minister of Tourism.

The association’s executive committee held its final preparatory meeting in Colombo in early May, confirming the August launch and outlining its initial agenda. Chandra Wickramasinghe, elect founder President, described the mission plainly: “Our vision is to create a platform where all stakeholders including product manufacturers can collaborate and share best practices in sustainable tourism.”

What SusTour will do

The association is led by private-sector tourism operators and supported by government bodies. Its planned work focuses on three areas: workshops and certification programmes for tourism businesses; awareness campaigns aimed at visitors; and partnerships with international organisations working on environmental standards and community-based travel.

The overarching aim is to shift Sri Lanka’s tourism model away from volume and towards higher-value, lower-impact visits — aligning with the government’s 2026–2030 national tourism roadmap, which places sustainability alongside arrival targets as a measure of success.

Australia has been a long-term partner in this direction, with the Australian High Commissioner noting that his country has contributed more than AUD 50 million to sustainable tourism development in Sri Lanka over the past decade.

What it means for visitors

For travellers, SusTour’s formation signals that Sri Lanka is moving quickly to formalise what has been an informal patchwork of eco-tourism and community-based operators. In practical terms, this is likely to mean clearer accreditation for responsible operators, more structured community-benefit tourism programmes, and growing pressure on businesses to meet environmental standards.

Sri Lanka’s natural and cultural offer makes it well-suited to sustainable travel. Sites such as Sigiriya — the UNESCO-listed rock fortress — and the hill country around Ella attract visitors precisely because of their natural setting; both benefit from managed, low-impact visitor practices. The island’s national parks, whale-watching coast, and tea country have a similar stake in keeping tourism sustainable.

For anyone planning a trip, our best time to visit Sri Lanka guide covers seasonal patterns, and the Sri Lanka visa guide has the latest on entry requirements, including the May 2026 ETA fee waiver for nationals of 40 countries.

SusTour’s official launch date and membership details are expected to be confirmed closer to August 2026.