Beginnings

First Responsible Tourism awareness workshop in Sri Lanka was held in November 2003 at the Annual Conference of the UK based specialist tour operators association – AITO. The event was hosted by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board together with the local tourism industry partners. Since visiting the country, AITO continued supporting setting up a long term responsible tourism partnership in Sri Lanka. AITO members raised funds to help develop a Responsible Tourism project to help build a shelter for women street sellers in Galle.  The purpose is to improve the living conditions for these craftswomen and their families and to provide them with an outlet to sell good quality crafts that tourists (local and foreign) will want to buy. The project was developed by the Sri Lanka Tourists Board and the National Craft Council of Sri Lanka was invited to be the implementing agency. The project is underway with additional resources received from United National Development Programme (UNDP)  by the  National Craft Council.

RTP today

The Travel Foundation in the United Kingdom in partnership with AITO is the main promoter of the RTP.  Followed by several study missions to the destination by Responsible Tourism (RT) experts, the Travel Foundation committed to a two year destination RT programme and help set up the RTP. The RTP  will work in close co-operation with the Travel Foundation in the United Kingdom to access and share good practice from the UK industry  and gain the synergies from a coherent international approach.

In September 2005, a Responsible Tourism Advisor was recruited to set up and manage the RTP in Sri Lanka.  Today, the RTP is an independent, non profit making body incorporated under The Companies Act.

The RTP is led by an executive committee of eight eminent persons bringing together international tourism expertise, sustainable development knowledge, key tourism industry association leaders, environmentalists, NGOs and a cross section of industry representatives.  Being the  principle promoter of the RTP The Travel Foundation has  committed for a two year RT programme in Sri Lanka.