Academy of Eco-Tourism, Wildlife and Nature Interpretation Sri Lanka launched

Eco Team Group Founder/MD Anuruddha Bandara 

• Eco Team and University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Centre for Sustainability enter into PPP

The Academy of Eco-Tourism, Wildlife and Nature Interpretation Sri Lanka (AEWNI) has been set up under a public-private partnership with equal shares between Eco Team Ltd. and the Centre for Sustainability, Department of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. 

It was set up with the involvement of University of Sri Jayewardenepura Former Vice-Chancellor Senior Prof. Sampath Amaratunge, Eco Team Group Founder/Managing Director Anuruddha Bandara, University of Sri Jayewardenepura Centre for Sustainability Department of Forestry and Environmental Science Director Dr. Priyan Perera, and University of Colombo Senior Professor Sarath Kotagama for the purpose of launching a Wildlife, Eco-Tourism and Nature Interpretation qualification in Sri Lanka. 

The objective of the joint venture is to create an academic qualification that will cater to the wildlife and eco-tourism industry requirements to create qualified professionals in order to protect and advocate sustainable wildlife tourism in the country. The educational program that is hoped to be the benchmark for Eco-tourism and Nature Interpretation is scheduled to commence by March. 

This sector of the tourism industry is vital to the economy since revenue from locals and foreign tourists visiting national wildlife parks in 2019 was approximately Rs. 1,900,000,000. Total number of travellers to Sri Lanka: 2.33 mil (2019) % of tourists who visited wildlife parks: approximately 40%. 

Other reasons include: Yala receiving bad reviews due to mismanagement and behaviour of guides and drivers, overcrowding of Yala, current limit is 600 jeeps a day (2019), animal habitats being destroyed (Wilpattu), wildlife being hunted and killed (tuskers and leopards), endangered and endemic animal species being driven to the brink of extinction due to lack of knowledge and education. 

Adverse effects of not having a standard or qualification have reduced tourist confidence in our safari providers, naturalists and other guides. Incidents of animals being harassed are common news. This will create a platform to educate enthusiasts and individuals who are in the wildlife and eco-tourism industry to gather knowledge and educate themselves.

Eco Team Ltd. Managing Director Anuruddha Bandara stated, “As a project, this joint venture’s mission is to highlight two related challenges that have become apparent in the eco-tourism and wildlife tourism sectors. First, the goal of preserving biodiversity through sustainable tourism cannot be achieved without increased cooperation between the protected area officials and the tourism industry. Second, often these protected area officials/representatives have insufficient knowledge of the priorities and constraints of the tourism sector. It was to address these challenges and facilitate a higher awareness, the AEWNI was set up.”