It is important that eco-tourism does not undervalue the skills of communities, a report by the Sri Lanka tourism ministry advisory panel has claimed.
Travelers planning
gap year travel will often include community-based tourism to boost poorer community opportunities and experience different aspects of a country's culture.
But while the advisory panel notes that "tourism has an undeniable potential for pro-poor economic development in Sri Lanka", it warns that it should be conducted in an appropriate way, reports the Lanka Business Online.
In a report the panel notes that there is a danger that as community tourism becomes more popular, it could potentially leave citizens with less than the value of their contribution.
The panel head Mr Silva noted that schemes should ensure that communities are "given fair and equal opportunities in the decision-making process of tourism development".
Meanwhile, the mass community tourism that has taken hold in remote parts of Asia, such as Buddhist monasteries in the Mekong River Valley in China has been criticized for the disruption it has caused to community practices.
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