Locals alert authorities to protect Sri Lanka's sole surfers' paradise

Sri Lanka’s surfing paradise, Arugambay attracts many local and foreign visitors during its peak season from July to October. Over the recent few years, this stretch of land has gained much attention, mainly due to the presence of Israeli tourists as claimed in media reports.

- By Kamanthi Wickramasinghe

A popular Australian DJ, who recently visited Arugambay, published a video claiming whether Arugambay is becoming Sri Lanka’s Tel Aviv. For passive onlookers, this may be a disturbing fact given the sensitivity of the situation currently unfolding in Gaza. While many certainly have mixed reactions towards the Israel-Palestine war and the fact that Sri Lanka has opened its doors to Israeli tourists, local business owners in Arugambay on the contrary opine that there are much more serious issues for authorities to look at.

Double standards in law enforcement

Local businesses in Arugambay have been through ups and downs and turnarounds in between the war, tsunami, Easter Sunday bombings, COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis. Arugambay is a seasonal destination and has a tremendous history. But a new phenomenon currently unfolding in Arugambay is where hospitality ventures in the South are slowly expanding in this destination. This way, business owners in the South have business all year round. Except for a handful of operations owned by Israeli individuals, all other businesses are owned by locals.