Abstract:
Jaffna, located in the Northern province of Sri Lanka, has a unique blend of tangible
and intangible cultural treasures influenced by centuries of Tamil history, colonial
legacies, and multi-religious customs. Due to a lack of infrastructure, inadequate
promotion, disjointed stakeholder collaboration, and the results of post-conflict
recovery, the region is still under-represented in the national tourism portfolio despite
its enormous potential. This study investigates the ways to transform Jaffna into a
thriving cultural tourism hub that protects its cultural heritage and encourages
inclusive community involvement. To capture the perspectives of stakeholders, a
qualitative research design based on an interpretive paradigm was used. The study
involved ten participants, chosen through purposive sampling, including locals,
government officials, tourism entrepreneurs, tour guides, and tourists, who
participated in semi-structured interviews and field observations to gather data.
Although the relatively small sample size limits generalisability, it provides
invaluable insights about the current state of cultural heritage tourism in Jaffna.
Thematic analysis revealed key challenges such as abandonment of lesser-known
sites, inadequate preservation, and insufficient government assistance. The findings
highlighted significant prospects for utilising colonial architecture, festivals, and
traditional and distinctive culinary customs to attract more tourists. The study
concludes that the multi-stakeholder approach, including infrastructure improvement,
focused promotions, strong heritage conservation, and proactive community
empowerment, is necessary to realise Jaffna's potential for cultural tourism. It is
expected that implementing these strategies into practice will improve destination
branding, encourage regional economic growth, and foster cross-cultural
understanding. By addressing both the challenges and opportunities, the research
contributes valuable insights for policymakers, tourism planners, and community
leaders engaged in post-conflict destination development. Furthermore, it enriches
the discourse on sustainable cultural tourism with the preservation of cultural identity.
