Usage of town planning for the development of tourism industry in Monaragala-Sri Lanka: a study Whichhas modeled on the city of Harbin, China

Abstract

Sri Lanka is one of the world famous tourism destination and also a country with a rich and proud history. Although many tourist destinations have been created in Monaragala, Sri Lanka which has many historical heritage sites, is still not popular among tourists. The city of Harbin is just as far away from the capital city, as Monaragala, and has a rough climate. But they have been able to develop tourism industry by using perfect town planning. Therefore, the main objective of this study is, to study how to increase tourism in Monaragala town by basing Harbin city. Under the qualitative methodology, grounded theory and SWOT analyzewere used. Because of the Harbin town plan, a city, of scarce resources, has become a major tourist destination over world. Monaragala is locating in a major tourist route in Sri Lanka, with many places of religious interest, Historical sites, ruins, tanks and natural ecosystems. The study also showed that city, which has a large land area, the potential to provide almost all of the infrastructure for tourists. The study also demonstrated, like other tourist destinations in Sri Lanka, Monaragala city can be developed and thereby it can boost the national economy.