Backpacker tourism and potential towards transformation

BACKPACKER tourism is popular in Sri Lanka, where generally young people globally, especially from Europe arrive seeking the best adventure type of experiential trip.

- BY SURYA VISHWA

They are young often between ages of 18 and 35 and many solo female travellers choose Sri Lanka as an epic destination.

Backpackers often stay in hostels which are spread out across this country. Some of these hostels charge as low as Rs. 1,500 a night.

This means that a sum like $ 500 which is the per night price of high-end luxury tourism in Sri Lanka will feed and house for about two weeks, a poor or broke young backpacker. Young travellers usually like to eat tasty and healthy food in the modest of eateries in the island and thereby interact with the local communities.

It would not be incorrect to state that the more young travellers this nation gets, the more money is transferred directly to communities at the most rural grass root level communities.

While older tourists or rich Sri Lankans who can spend $ 500 a night for accommodation but have neither the vigour of youth or the enthusiasm, would not consider venturing into far flung remote areas that require physical energy like walking for miles because there is no bus facility. Young idealists treasure these moments.

Who we become as adults is shaped by our experiences in our youth. Therefore it is very important for young people from around the world to have their travel experience without tailor-made segregation being orchestrated unknown to them by Sri Lankan international hostel operators. Such an apartheid-like tourism policy could subtly alter their own subconscious contributing lethally to an already over-racial world.

Sri Lankans barring other Sri Lankans