Page 138 - RASAS 2025

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10 Ruhuna Arts Student’s Annual Sessions (RASAS) -2025

Modern Trends in Tea Tourism: A Study of the Haputale Tourist Region in Sri
Lanka

Y.M.S.M. Yapa
Department of Geography, University of Ruhuna
Shanurimithumi@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Haputale, located in the Badulla District, is a hill town at an altitude of 4695 feet above sea level. Currently,
an eco-friendly tourism industry has started in this area, combining tourism and agriculture. The objective of

this research is to identify the emerging trends in the tourism industry of Sri Lanka with respect to tea
cultivation in the Haputale area. Accordingly, in order to achieve the above research objectives, this study
examined the emerging trends in the tourism industry of Sri Lanka with respect to the tea industry. The selected
tourist destinations in the Haputale area were taken as the study population, and the sample required for the

study was created using the purposive sampling method. The primary data required for the study was collected
through interviews and observations, while the secondary data required for the study was obtained from the

internet and written sources. Previous researchers have not studied the new trends in the tourism industry that
have emerged with the diversification of products and modernization of services related to tea cultivation in
the Haputale area, and this research aims to fill that research gap. Mixed methods research was used for data

analysis in the above study. The topography and climatic conditions of the Haputale region are favorable for
the tea industry as well as the tourism industry. The attractions related to the tea industry, such as Thangamale

Estate (Adisham Bungalow), Lipton’s Seat, Dambatenna Tea Factory, Kelliebedde Tea Factory, and
Udaweriya Estate, have become a modern phenomenon in the promotion of regional tourism. Visiting tea
estates, old bungalows, tea museums, tea factories, tea shops, and restaurants and providing experiences such

as tuk-tuk rides around the tea estates, tea leaf picking, production, and tasting can be seen as modern trends.
These modern trends have led to the promotion of the regional tourism industry. It can be concluded from this
study that new trends have been created for the tourism industry in the Haputale region by combining eco-

friendly tourism with tea cultivation.

Keywords: Ceylon tea, Haputale, Modern trends, Tea tourism, Tourist experiences

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