Who starts which
If you are abroad with money
Clusters 1, 4, 6, 8, 12, 13 and 21 are the ones that need capital before they need anything else: the lodges, the balloon, the roastery, the processing plant, the laboratory, the marina, the solar leases. Bring the standard with the money.
Your clusters
1
Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
If Sri Lanka earned what the Maldives earns per visitor, the visitors it already has would bring in $2.4 billion a year...
20 ideas, 1 to 20
4
The experience economy
An app that tells people what is happening tonight converts a day visit into a 2-night stay.
30 ideas, 71 to 100
6
Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
Dilmah says it earns over 3 times the national average export price for tea, because it does its own blending, branding...
30 ideas, 121 to 150
8
The coconut, which deserves its own list
The whole-nut principle. Sri Lanka's coconut exports grew by more than 40% in 2025, faster than any other major export...
15 ideas, 176 to 190
12
The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
The sapphire is mined here and cut here, and its value is certified in Basel or Lucerne and turned into money in...
15 ideas, 236 to 250
13
The sea
An ocean 8 times the size of the land, and a fishing fleet that sells its catch on the beach. The Maldives built a...
20 ideas, 251 to 270
21
Energy, water and waste at small scale
The sun shines on every roof and the island imports its fuel.
15 ideas, 411 to 425145 ideas
- 1Boutique eco-lodges with heritage viewsCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 2Luxury treehouse stays in forest marginsCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 3Glamping with proper service, at sites with noneCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 4Heritage homestays in family housesCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 5Floating cabanas on the ancient reservoirsCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 6Forest holiday villages on the Center Parcs model: lodges among the trees, a covered pool, bikes and a lake, so a family stays a week, not a nightCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 7Restored colonial estates as private villasCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 8Budget lodging built to the same standard of welcome as the expensive tierCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 9Villa management services for absentee ownersCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 10Private pool and garden maintenance businesses serving the aboveCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 11Tea-estate bungalow stays with the working factory as the attraction, not the view aloneCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 12Railway-station conversions in the hills and on the coastCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 13Farm stays where the guest works a morning in the paddy or the spice gardenCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 14A 7-night circuit product sold as one booking: hills, ancient cities, coast, with transfersCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 15Long-stay monthly rates for remote workers, with desks, power backup and fibre guaranteedCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 16Family-suite lodges near the parks, built for three generations travelling togetherCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 17Surf lodges at Arugam Bay and Weligama run to the standard of Bali, with lessons and board hireCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 18Dark-sky stays in the dry zone, with a telescope and a guide who knows the southern skyCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 19Wedding-week villas: the ceremony, the guests and the honeymoon in one placeCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 20A guesthouse rating scheme run by the guesthouses themselves, with published inspectionsCluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)
- 71Evening cultural performances on a fixed nightly scheduleCluster 4: The experience economy
- 72Moonlit storytelling: the legends, the kings, the historiesCluster 4: The experience economy
- 73Royal feast dinners recreating historical menusCluster 4: The experience economy
- 74Costume and photography experiencesCluster 4: The experience economy
- 75Archaeology-themed treasure hunts for childrenCluster 4: The experience economy
- 76Private guided tours led by historians and archaeologistsCluster 4: The experience economy
- 77Sunrise and sunset access toursCluster 4: The experience economy
- 78Photographers for hire at ticket offices, by the hourCluster 4: The experience economy
- 79Drone photography as a premium packageCluster 4: The experience economy
- 80Augmented reality tours of heritage sitesCluster 4: The experience economy
- 81Hot air balloon ridesCluster 4: The experience economy
- 82Horse and carriage village toursCluster 4: The experience economy
- 83Rock climbing instructionCluster 4: The experience economy
- 84Cycling tours through villagesCluster 4: The experience economy
- 85Birdwatching with expert guidesCluster 4: The experience economy
- 86Night safarisCluster 4: The experience economy
- 87Whale watching, properly regulatedCluster 4: The experience economy
- 88Outdoor cinema eveningsCluster 4: The experience economy
- 89Escape rooms and puzzle experiences built on local historyCluster 4: The experience economy
- 90Annual arts festivals, district by districtCluster 4: The experience economy
- 91The Kandy Esala Perahera sold as a week, with seats, explanation and the temple's protocol respectedCluster 4: The experience economy
- 92A "what's on tonight" service for each tourist town, printed and online, updated dailyCluster 4: The experience economy
- 93Train-journey packages on the hill line with a guide, a meal and a stop that is not EllaCluster 4: The experience economy
- 94Leopard-tracking days at Yala and Wilpattu with a limit on vehicles and a premium priceCluster 4: The experience economy
- 95Kayaking and paddle-boarding on the lagoons, with a naturalistCluster 4: The experience economy
- 96Cookery competitions for visitors, judged by a village panel, with the prize being dinnerCluster 4: The experience economy
- 97Cricket-match packages: a ticket, a seat with a local who explains it, and the after-partyCluster 4: The experience economy
- 98The April New Year in a village, open to visitors: the games, the sweets and the customs, explained by the families who keep themCluster 4: The experience economy
- 99Street-food walks in Colombo, Jaffna and Galle with a guide who knows every stall's historyCluster 4: The experience economy
- 100A festival calendar for the whole island published a year ahead, so a visitor can plan around itCluster 4: The experience economy
- 121Organic farm-to-table restaurants using genuinely local produceCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 122Single-origin chocolate using Sri Lankan spicesCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 123Ceylon coffee roasteriesCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 124Herbal tea ranges: cinnamon, lemongrass, gingerCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 125Coconut-based dessert cafés and product linesCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 126King coconut water, bottled and branded for exportCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 127Premium chilli sauces, chutneys and preservesCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 128Fusion pop-ups and supper clubsCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 129Luxury picnic catering at heritage sitesCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 130Spice oils and extracts rather than raw spiceCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 131Value-added cinnamon: ground, capsuled, oil, branded consumer packsCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 132Jaffna crab and cuttlefish curry as a chilled export dish for the Sri Lankan shops abroadCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 133Freeze-dried tropical fruit (mangosteen, rambutan, mango and pineapple) as snacks for European and Gulf supermarketsCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 134Hoppers and string-hopper mixes that work in a foreign kitchenCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 135Kithul treacle and jaggery as a named origin sweetener, the way maple syrup is Canadian, with a range of recipes and ready products that use it in place of white sugar, each tested for its glycaemic index so the label can say what it doesCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 136Ceylon arrack as a premium spirit with a distillery tour, the way whisky is sold in ScotlandCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 137Craft beer and cider from local fruit for the tourist townsCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 138Wood-apple, soursop and passion-fruit juices and sorbets for exportCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 139A fine-dining Sri Lankan restaurant in London or New York aiming for a Michelin star, the flagship that makes the whole cuisine premiumCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 140Curry-leaf, pandan and gotukola as frozen and dried herbs for European retailCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 141A Sri Lankan rice brand: red rice, suwandel and the heritage varieties, in retail packs abroadCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 142Ready meals for Sri Lankans abroad, cooked in Sri Lanka, frozen and shipped in bulkCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 143A cookbook and video series in English that becomes the standard reference, with the products linkedCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 144Vanilla, since it grows here, cured and graded to the Madagascar standardCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 145Pepper as a single-estate product with the estate's name on the jarCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 146Cocoa from the wet zone processed into bean-to-bar chocolate on the islandCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 147Jackfruit as a meat substitute for the vegan markets of Europe, canned and frozenCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 148Sea salt from the Puttalam and Hambantota pans, flaked and brandedCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 149Buffalo curd and treacle sold as a chilled dessert in the Gulf supermarketsCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 150A Sri Lankan food hall in one European city, run as a showcase and a wholesaler at onceCluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality
- 176Coconut yoghurt and dairy-free spreads for the vegan shelves of Europe, made from fresh milk pressed hereCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 177Coconut water jelly and other set desserts, a product nobody yet associates with Sri LankaCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 178King coconut as a named origin product, the way Alphonso is a named mangoCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 179Virgin coconut oil, cold-pressed, certified, in consumer packsCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 180Coconut milk and cream in retail formats rather than industrial drumsCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 181Coconut flour and desiccated coconut for the gluten-free and baking marketsCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 182Coconut sugar, treacle and jaggery from the flower sapCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 183Coconut vinegar as a named origin product, aged and bottled for delicatessensCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 184Activated charcoal from the shell, which is a high-value industrial inputCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 185Drinking straws and plates from fallen coconut leaves, for the cafés and caterers that have given up plasticCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 186Coir from the husk: matting, rope, mats that hold soil on slopes, and potting material for plant nurseriesCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 187Coconut-based cosmetics and hair products, which is where the margin isCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 188Toasted coconut chips, salted or spiced, as a packed snack for supermarkets abroadCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 189Coir pots and seedling trays for the European garden-centre trade, replacing plasticCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 190Coconut-timber furniture and flooring from the palms that have stopped bearingCluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list
- 236A gem laboratory in Colombo to the standard of the Swiss ones, with a foreign partner if it must, so the origin report is issued where the stone was minedCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 237Jewellery design studios employing the young designers who now leave for Bangkok and DubaiCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 238A Ratnapura mine visit sold as a day, with a licensed dealer and a laboratory report on anything you buyCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 239Gem-cutting apprenticeships, paid, with the graduates employed by the studios aboveCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 240A Ceylon sapphire brand for engagement rings, sold online to Sri Lankans abroad and beyond, with the stone's story traced from pit to fingerCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 241Auction days in Colombo for the trade, with international buyers flown in, the way Geneva does it twice a yearCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 242Moonstone from Meetiyagoda as a named origin, sold on the name of the mine and its blue sheenCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 243Gem and jewellery insurance and insured shipping, so that a buyer abroad can pay safelyCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 244Ethical-mining certification for the small pits, so that the story sells the stoneCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 245Museum-grade replicas of the Star of India and the Logan Sapphire, sold with their true storyCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 246Short gemmology courses for foreign buyers and jewellers, taught in Ratnapura with real stones and a microscopeCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 247Gem-cutting machinery service and repair, since every cutter's tools are importedCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 248Gem photography and grading videos for online sales, a service to the small dealersCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 249A published price index for Ceylon sapphires by size and grade, so the miner knows what he is sellingCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 250Garnet, spinel and the lesser stones marketed as a range, since they are mined anyway and thrown into parcelsCluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate
- 251Sailing charters and a yacht marina at Galle or Trincomalee, with the crew trained hereCluster 13: The sea
- 252Diving schools at the wrecks of Trincomalee and the reefs of the east, certified to international standardCluster 13: The sea
- 253Sport fishing charters with catch-and-release, sold to the Gulf and EuropeCluster 13: The sea
- 254Sea-cucumber and seaweed farming in the northern lagoons, for the buyers in Hong Kong and SingaporeCluster 13: The sea
- 255Tuna graded, loined and vacuum-packed at the harbour for the sashimi market, not sold wholeCluster 13: The sea
- 256Crab and prawn from the lagoons as a branded chilled export, with the lagoon's nameCluster 13: The sea
- 257Dried fish and Maldive fish for Sri Lankans abroad, packed to a food-safety standardCluster 13: The sea
- 258Boats for export: the boatyards already on the coast building fishing boats and launches for the countries around the Indian Ocean, not only for the home fleetCluster 13: The sea
- 259Coastal clean-up businesses paid by the hotels, with the plastic sold on for recyclingCluster 13: The sea
- 260Ornamental-fish breeding for the world's aquarium trade, raised in tanks rather than taken from the reefCluster 13: The sea
- 261Beach-hut cafés run to a standard, licensed, with the sanitation that the beaches lackCluster 13: The sea
- 262Surfboard shaping and repair workshops on the east and south coastsCluster 13: The sea
- 263Snorkelling reef guides trained in marine biology, at Pigeon Island and HikkaduwaCluster 13: The sea
- 264Fish-market tours at Negombo at dawn with breakfast after, the way Tokyo sold TsukijiCluster 13: The sea
- 265Stays in old lighthouse keepers' cottages, leased from the Ports Authority where it no longer needs themCluster 13: The sea
- 266Mangrove nurseries selling seedlings to the hotels and the state for coastal protectionCluster 13: The sea
- 267Ice plants at every fishing harbour run as a service, so the catch does not spoil before the saleCluster 13: The sea
- 268Fish-leather and fish-skin products from the waste of the processing plantsCluster 13: The sea
- 269The wind, the salt pans and the flamingos as one coastal business: kitesurfing schools and camps in the windy months, walks through the salt pans where the flamingos feed in winter, and stays sold for both seasons, wherever the coast has the wind and the wetlandsCluster 13: The sea
- 270Ferry and sea-plane services between the coastal towns, the way islands elsewhere connect their coastCluster 13: The sea
- 411Rooftop solar leasing for households, paid from the electricity billCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 412Solar-powered cold rooms for the fishing harbours and the farmsCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 413Biogas plants for the dairy and pig farms, with the gas sold locallyCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 414Rainwater-harvesting installation for the dry-zone villages and the hotelsCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 415Waste-collection and recycling businesses in the tourist towns, paid by the businesses they serveCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 416Composting of hotel and market waste into a branded soil productCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 417Plastic-recycling units making building products from the beach and river wasteCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 418Electric-vehicle charging networks along the tourist routes, ahead of the demandCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 419Battery-storage services for the guesthousesCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 420Solar water pumps for the smallholders, sold with a maintenance contractCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 421Energy audits and efficiency retrofits for the hotels, paid from the savingsCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 422Biomass pellets from the coconut and rice husks for the tea factories' driersCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 423Water-purification franchises for the districts where the wells are failingCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 424LED and efficient-lighting retrofits sold to the factories and the templesCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale
- 425Mini-grids and solar storage for the islands off Jaffna, which are not on the national gridCluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale