Ayurveda industry - the main attraction at ITB
 

Shirajiv Sirimane reporting from Germany

Berlin (Thursday) - The Ayurveda industry related to tourism will recover sooner than the other sectors, said the Managing Director Siddalepa Health Resort, Wadduwa, Asoka Hettigoda.

He said that Ayurveda is something to do with health and today there is a demand for this. "Health is among the four top priorities in life of a human being and therefore this industry will not be affected and rebound sooner than other beach hotels," he said.

This was evident from the number of inquires made on Ayurveda health resorts in sri lanka at the ITB in Berlin. The herbal head massage demonstrations of visitors organized by the Resort also gained popularity at the ITB stall in Berlin.

He said that Ayurveda is a niche market product and it is being patronised by the up market clients. "They are not sight seeing or tourists going on adventures and come to rest in a quiet atmosphere," he said.

Since the product is gaining in popularity we are hoping to invest more in the next few years he said. President of the National association for German Tourism Industry Klaus Laepple, said that signs of the increasing concerns about ensuring sustainable development, as well as safety and security for tourism, are evident all over ITB this year.

Thailand, for example, has decided to consider limiting development in certain resorts, such as Phi-Phi, so as to protect the natural environment.

The government is also installing lifeguard posts and more security regarding marine tourism. The 'safer beach' design concept will be applied on all post-tsunami reconstruction.

With much of the emergency relief needs of tsunami survivors now met, the focus shifts to what the head of a relief agency calls "the really hard part - putting peoples' lives and their shattered communities back together".

Lelei LeLaulu, president of the humanitarian and development organisation, Counterpart International, said they were concentrating on a "ridge to reef" restoration" starting at sea with the fishing community which was badly hit by tidal waves.

Then there are the devastated coral reefs where the fish dwell and which creates sand and beaches. Onshore, LeLaulu said a sustainable tourism industry should be built rather than "re-building mistakes" of non-sustainable tourism.

The development agency's Sri Lanka Tsunami Redevelopment Programme is also rebuilding 500 family houses and 25 public buildings, such as schools, clinics, and co-operatives. "Our job is not just to rebuild houses, but to introduce new construction technology which is environmentally sustainable and economically viable.

We will also train local builders as to how to use this technology," explained Dr Thoric Cederstrom, Counterpart's Vice President of Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture.