Thema Collection launches e-bike rides to Sigiriya from Aliya Resort & Spa to support sustainable tourism

Thema Collection, a leading Thematic Eco Friendly hospitality chain in Sri Lanka, has launched a new sustainable tourism initiative with the aim of reducing carbon emissions and protecting biodiversity. 

The innovative e-bike tour to Sigiriya from Aliya Resort & Spa is the first of its kind in the country and offers guests a unique and eco-friendly way to experience Sri Lanka’s natural beauty and culture.

The launch took place on 1 March 2023 and was attended by German guests from NKAR travels who thoroughly enjoyed the event

Sri Lanka is amongst the most vulnerable countries for impacts of climate change and the impacts are to intensify in the upcoming decades. The transport sector is one of the main carbon emitters by burning of fossil fuels in the country and is responsible for almost 47% of the CO2 emissions and is growing at an alarming rate. 

On the other hand, tourism has been one of the country’s largest foreign income sources, with Sigiriya being one of the most popular tourist destinations. The carbon footprint could be reduced by employing sustainable transportation solutions such as this, to these popular attractions.

Speaking at the launch, the Chairman of Thema Collection, Chandra Wickramasinghe emphasised the importance of sustainable tourism and its potential to overcome the consequences of climate change. “We are proud to launch this initiative as part of our ongoing efforts to implement sustainable tourism practices. The e-bike tour is a great way to reduce carbon emissions and provide guests with a unique experience of Sri Lanka’s natural beauty and culture.”

Wickramasinghe further stated that this initiative will be further expanded to the other resorts of Thema Collection and invited other stakeholders to join hands with Thema Collection to take this initiative forward.

“This is just the beginning of moving to e-transportation mode. We are planning to implement this initiative across all our resorts in the country. I would like to invite all stakeholders to join hands with us to take this initiative forward,” he added.

Speaking at the event, Marketing and Business Development Director Maxime Wickramasinghe highlighted the importance of the initiative for the protection of biodiversity of Sri Lanka. 

“Sri Lanka is renowned for its rich biodiversity, with the increase in anthropogenic activities there has been a huge threat to the biodiversity of the country. The use of e-bikes will not only reduce the carbon emissions but also the noise pollution. This will be a good opportunity for our guests to experience and learn more about the wildlife surrounding our resorts.”

Thema Collection has always been at the forefront of sustainable practices, having won the Green Building Gold award in 2013 for Aliya Resort and Spa and the Platinum award in 2022 for Wild Glamping Gal Oya. The company plans to expand this initiative to other resorts in the country and has invited other stakeholders to join hands in taking the initiative forward.