Abstract:
Tourism counts as one of the most significant global economic sectors which could cross
cultural boundaries, influence economies, open up an avenue for leisure and relaxation
motives, and unite people globally. Despite being a massive contributor to the global
economy, tourism promotes millions of direct/indirect employments and cross-cultural
mobility. In the post-pandemic era, tourism has become a premier part of the economic
boom in Sri Lanka, as the peaceful state and hereditary beauty mingled to attract visitors
around the globe. This paper attempts to discover post-pandemic recovery strategies
identifying post-pandemic tourism behavior within the economy and potential tourism
markets. The study objectives have been reached through a comprehensive secondary
data analysis and industry stakeholder survey conducted during September-October
2024. Administered Questionnaires among the respondents to gain an in-depth under-
standing of (1) nature-based tourism during the present post-pandemic, (2) demographic
features of the target market, (3) Geotourism as a potential market to develop, (4) Pos-
sible geosites which would be promoted and (5) potential tourism markets. Data was
qualitatively analyzed through the Thematic analysis method for a deeper understanding
of the concept. The paper provides directions on sector development through sustainable
solutions by uplifting the nature-based tourism cluster, geotourism development, market
diversification and specifically linking Ramayana Trail with geosites to attract Indian
tourist market.
