Towards a Resilient Ecotourism Destination: Assessment of the Ella Urban Development Plan 2021-2030

Abstract

Ella, with its environmental and ecological attributes and highest room occupancy rate (75.24%), attracted 120,000 (6%) of the total tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka in 2019, also projects 2 million visits by 2030. Due to topographical features and climate change implications, Ella is prone to natural disasters, especially the main access road of Ella-Wellawaya and surrounding areas of Ella town. 99% of occupants in Ella are self-employed in the tourism industry. The Ella urban development plan 2021-2030 (the plan) was formulated with the goal of developing the area as the most attractive and safest tourism destination in the hills. Tourism resilience improves capacities to recover the tourism sector from disasters and reduces tourism-induced stress on the society and environment through integration of disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies. In this context, the objective of the study was to assess the extent to which the Plan considered DRR strategies towards a disaster resilient tourism industry. A qualitative methodology was adopted where hazard identification and vulnerability reduction, being key elements in DRR, were chosen to assess components of the Plan-Scope (1), Background Study (2), Need of the Plan (3), Goal and Objectives (4), SWOT Analysis (5), and the Plan (6). Relevant secondary data were obtained from official sources and reviewed journal articles. Despite Ella being identified as a multi-hazard area by the Disaster Management Centre, hazard identification of the plan was limited to landslides; not considering high winds, cyclones, and lightning in 2, 5 components. Being the main objective, consideration towards reducing ecological vulnerability was visible in all components. The unauthorized constructions in protected areas, which may have an underlying relationship with economical vulnerability, were neither identified nor, vulnerability reduction measures proposed. Social vulnerability reduction measures were also absent despite 18% of female-headed households and 17% of female involvement in the tourism industry in various capacities. The tourism infrastructure and beautification projects were prioritized over projects aimed at physical vulnerability reduction of existing tourism infrastructure and stakeholders. It was found that the resilience of the tourism industry to natural disasters was compromised as DRR in the aspect of hazard identification, and reduction of social, physical, and economical vulnerability were inadequate. Therefore, the study recommends amending the Plan, or to pass a separate by-law by the local government authority to integrate comprehensive hazard identification, and integrate intervention for reduction of social, economic, and physical vulnerabilities for a resilient tourism destination, while conserving the natural environment in Ella.
 Keywords: Resilient ecotourism, Ella tourism destination, Urban development plan, Conservation of nature