Prestige issue 289, Feb. 2018
The resplendent island
of the Indian Ocean
Sri Lanka, is a fabulous island of the Indian Ocean, with green landscapes. This country has many assets to attract tourists from around the planet. People interested in improving their knowledge of precious stones. Tourists who wish to take advantage of the medical services provided in the island.
Gem Tours
Nowhere in the world can we find the quality of blue sapphires that can be found in Sri Lanka, named as cornflower blue, sometimes named royal blue or peacock feather blue. In addition to the highly sought after blue sapphire, Sri Lanka has a diversity of gems in its soil: the exciting yellow sapphire, rubies, aquamarine, amethyst, citrine, blue topaz, tourmaline, and alexandrite. Most tourists who visit Sri Lanka desire to learn something about gems. They desire to follow a course or participate in short term training workshops. They can also choose to have a mining experience or gem cutting experience. The GJRTI has introduced a novel concept to the tourism industry by providing some short term in- house training courses workshops relating to gems for tour groups.
Medical Tourism
In order to attract more tourists to Sri Lanka, there are service offerings in medical tourism. They range from extremely high surgeries like transplants to relatively standard procedures such as hip replacements. Lanka Hospitals has focused on building expertise in cochlear implant surgeries. These operations implant an electronic device providing a sense of sound to a person who is deaf in one or in both ears.
Bariatric surgical procedures cause weight loss by restricting the amount of food the stomach can hold. In addition to health resorts dedicated to the practice of authentic Ayurveda or wellness spas for tourists, who merely wish to maintain their health or prevent future medical problems. Added to the medical and gemological fields, a whole spectrum of fields spanning the cultural and agricultural spheres also attract the tourists.
Tea and Cinnamon
Sri Lanka has been known for a long time for its tea plantations and tea industry. Sri Lankan tea attracts good demand from countries in the Middle East like Iran and Iraq, but also Russia and Ukraine.
It is known that cinnamon originating in Sri Lanka had been a commodity of much value and prestige amongst nations. Sri Lanka produces and exports 90% of its production annually. The value of Ceylan cinnamon is due to the quality of the bark, and especially the presence of aroma giving volatile compounds known as «terpenoids».
What distinguishes Ceylon Cinnamon from Cassia cinnamon produced in Indonesia, India, and Vietnam is its unique form of «quills». Their inside is filled like a cigar with their peels of cinnamon. It is also three to four times more expensive than the other varieties. While Cassia cinnamon usually found in supermarkets is essentially one thick piece of bark strip that curls inward on both sides into a hollow tube.
Regular consumption of cinnamon has numerous health benefit. It could potentially lower blood sugar levels, help digestion, ease arthritis, lower cholesterol and even ward off Alzheimer.
Biological Agriculture
The agriculture practices with indigenous knowledge of the traditional Sri Lankan farmers have tremendously contributed to the development of sustainable agriculture in Sri Lanka. This country has long held a reputation for its organic farming practices, exporting organic produce since the 1990s. Therefore, the country has built a great identity for quality organic produce in comparison to other countries in the region. The varieties of fruits and vegetables grown in Sri Lanka: banana, pineapple, papaya…
With all the advantages offered by Sri Lanka to the tourists, one must not forget the picturesque landscapes of tea fields and rice plantations, the temples and Buddha statues, panoramic views of archaeological sites and remains.
Related Articles:
http://www.prestigemag.co/2014/08/sri-lanka-the-resplendent-island-of-the-indian-ocean/
http://www.prestigemag.co/2017/08/sri-lanka/
http://www.prestigemag.co/2017/09/les-tresors-touristiques-du-sri-lanka/
