MTI Cautions on Sri Lanka’s Tourism Sustainability 📈

While praising the sector's resilience, MTI Consulting warns that focus on short-term "highs" may mask critical long-term structural risks. • Strategic Concerns • Risks of overtourism exceeding ecosystem carrying capacity. • Caution against "milestone obsession" (focusing on arrival numbers over tourist experience). • Lack of accountability for the hidden environmental costs of rapid growth. • Economic Impacts • Inflationary pressure on real estate, rents, and essential consumables. • Uneven wealth distribution within the tourism value chain. • High "tourism leakage" where foreign exchange earnings are offset by the ecological and social burden on local populations. • Key Recommendations • Calculate the real cost of tourism by assessing pollution and resource use. • Prioritize sustainable infrastructure and high-value experiences over mass volume. • Shift from quantitative targets to a balanced model that protects local biodiversity and community interests.