Advancing Accessible Tourism in Sri Lanka Through Strategic Partnership

As part of its efforts within Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, Australia’s Market Development Facility is partnering with Walkers Tours to support experiences aimed at enhancing accessibility and services through Australian technical expertise, helping the industry better cater to travellers with diverse accessibility requirements. Accessible tourism supports travel experiences not only for people with disabilities, but also for older travellers, families, and others with accessibility requirements. Yet, the availability of access-verified tourism experiences in Sri Lanka remains limited. This partnership has the potential to broaden Sri Lanka’s tourism offering while ensuring that more people are able to experience the country comfortably and confidently.

Improving accessible tourism also creates wider economic opportunities. By expanding tourism into more inclusive market segments, the initiative can help generate benefits for small and medium-sized enterprises, local communities, accommodation providers, guides, transport operators and other tourism-related businesses across the country.

Maryam Piracha, Country Director of MDF mentioned, “Accessible tourism is both an inclusion imperative and a significant growth opportunity for Sri Lanka. As demand increases for destinations that cater to travellers with diverse accessibility needs, Sri Lanka has an opportunity to expand its tourism offering and reach new markets. Through our partnership with Walkers Tours, MDF is supporting efforts to demonstrate the commercial potential of accessible tourism and encourage wider adoption across the industry. We hope this initiative will help position Sri Lanka as a more inclusive, competitive and welcoming destination for all travellers.”

A key contributor to this journey is Ayu, the dedicated accessible tourism brand of Walkers Tours, which has been pioneering accessible tourism experiences in Sri Lanka. Through its focus on creating thoughtfully designed and accessible travel experiences, Ayu continues to demonstrate how the tourism industry can evolve to better accommodate travellers with diverse mobility and accessibility needs. The partnership represents a significant step towards positioning Sri Lanka as a more inclusive tourism destination where accessibility is considered an integral part of the visitor experience.

At the heart of the initiative is a simple but important belief: a disability should never be a barrier to exploring the beauty, culture and experiences that Sri Lanka has to offer.

By strengthening accessibility, encouraging collaboration and creating opportunities for local businesses and communities, initiatives of this nature can contribute to the tourism industry that is not only more inclusive, but also more sustainable and economically beneficial for Sri Lanka.