In partnership with UNDP Sri Lanka, Connecting Business Initiative (CBi – Geneva) and the Ruhunu Tourist Bureau (RTB), Asia-Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management Sri Lanka (APAD-SL) facilitated training workshops for tourism-based MSMEs in Galle, Matara and Hambantota on the 7th , 9th and 10th of February 2022. This was carried out as part of an overall initiative titled ‘Building Disaster Resilient MSMEs in the Tourism Sector of Sri Lanka’. The aim was to address and create greater disaster resilience and business continuity among 200 MSMEs in the Southern Province, particularly in the Galle, Matara and Hambantota Districts. The Southern Province Chambers of Commerce for the specified areas were also involved in the coordination of the workshops.
Facilitators at the workshops from Aitken Spence, Aitken Spence Travels, Aitken Spence Hotels, Bank of Ceylon, Booking.com and Kantala Pvt Ltd, shared their expertise with the MSMEs, adding value in making the training an enriching, interactive and highly beneficial experience for all the attendees. Once the training workshops were completed, certificates were presented to all the participants.
Initiatives, such as these workshops, are crucial in the overall strengthening of MSMEs, who ultimately play a vital role in building a more resilient tourism sector in Sri Lanka.
