“We returned from Sri Lanka just before the troubles, and change in government. I wanted to help, but I wasn't sure how to go about it. The economy is very dependent on tourism, and the recent problems will probably deter more visitors. We were conscious of how easy our own lives are, and would like to be able to help, even if only in a small way.” - David, Experience Travel Group client

Sri Lanka has had quite a time of it. At the sharp end have been those in the critically important tourism sector.

First, there was the terrorist attack, known as the 'Easter Bombings,' in 2019 and the resulting catastrophic fall in travellers to Sri Lanka. This was followed, less than a year later by the worldwide pandemic shutdown. Tourist numbers recovered very well in early 2022, before an acute economic crisis hit the country. Without any income to speak of during 2020 and 2021, our partners in Sri Lanka are struggling to make ends meet.

In 2019 we successfully run a crowdfunding campaign to support our chauffeur guides that raised £15,000. This was entirely due to the hugely generous support from our ETG community.

We were initially hesitant to draw on your goodwill again, but many requests from customers have made us think again. We had already set up our own emergency fund of £2,500 to which our partners and suppliers in Sri Lanka can apply. This is your chance to help us double, or even triple that amount.

The fall in the value of the rupee means that your pounds will go an awfully long way in Sri Lanka right now. While the fuel situation appears to have eased somewhat in recent days, general prices are so high that many people (even those who are relatively middle-class) are now severely struggling to make ends meet. To compound the issues, many people are funding elderly relatives to buy essential medication which is no longer available from hospitals and is very expensive.

Our network of chauffeur-guides can earn a very good living in normal times. However, with high outgoings including vehicle hire or repayments, life quickly becomes difficult when there are no tourists. The combination of 2019, the Covid shutdown and now this latest economic crisis, has hit incredibly hard. With the money raised in this crowdfunding campaign, we will be able to offer each of our chauffeur-guides an equal support payment to help tide them over.

NB: to be clear, the fundraise is not for Thushni (who is employed by ETG) or any direct employee of our partners in Sri Lanka. It is strictly for freelancers reliant on tourist income over the short term.

We will invite selected community partners in Sri Lanka to apply for our fund if they need to do so. Partners such as the family who provide the buffalo curd experience near Tangalle, the itinerant farmers in the Knuckles, or the agricultural village we work with near Sigiriya. These experience providers are part of community projects and supplement their living from farming with income from tourism. With fewer visitors and with prices rocketing, many of these people are finding themselves in crisis.

Your support is enormously appreciated and will make a huge impact.