Nov 25, Colombo: With Sri Lanka’s tourism industry grappling to stay afloat amid the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are scrambling to find ways to remain competitive and resilient.

Assisting the entire industry and especially the SMEs has been a priority initiative for the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance during these unprecedented times.

“Our partnership with Good Life X is another key milestone in our journey towards providing support and assistance to the industry during this crisis. Through the Grants for Tourism Resilience program we will disburse a total of EUR 50,000 to assist sustainable SMEs that have used this time to successfully adapt, innovate and stay resilient” said Malik Fernando, co-chair, Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance.

The program will assist SMEs that have been in operation for a minimum of 2 years. An individual SME can apply for a grant between LKR 1,000,000 to LKR 2,100,000 (Approximately) with funding going towards the implementation of a sustainable idea that will help businesses innovate, grow and bounce back better.

“Tourism businesses are looking for ways to remain resilient and competitive during this challenging time. We are happy to partner with Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance to extend the support to SMEs that have successfully leveraged opportunities brought on by this crisis to navigate towards a more sustainable growth path. This grant program is an extension of the work implemented by Noah Foundation Germany, under the initiative of German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as a response to the COVID-19 crisis in Sri Lanka.” said Randhula de Silva, Director, Good Life X.

Interested tourism businesses should submit a completed Google Application Form before midnight December 18, 2020. More information about the program is available on Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance’s website.