Sri Lankan authorities are considering a series of measures to reduce environmental pressure at Horton Plains National Park, including daily visitor limits, advance online booking and an electric-vehicle shuttle system.
The proposals emerged from a field inspection and progress-review programme held at Horton Plains on August 29 under Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody.
The measures form part of a wider effort to develop a more sustainable tourism model for the environmentally sensitive national park.
Daily visitor limits proposed
Authorities have proposed controlling the number of visitors entering Horton Plains each day.
Under the proposal, visitors would reserve their visits in advance through an online booking system using allocated time slots.
The intention is to better manage visitor numbers and reduce excessive pressure on the park during busy periods.
An adjusted pricing strategy has also been discussed as part of visitor-management planning.
No final daily visitor cap or revised ticket price should be treated as confirmed until formally announced.
Electric shuttle service proposed
Authorities have separately proposed introducing an electric-vehicle shuttle service within Horton Plains.
Under the proposed system, parking areas would be established near entrance points and visitors would travel inside the park using electric shuttle vehicles.
The proposal is intended to reduce vehicle emissions, carbon footprint, noise pollution and disturbance to wildlife.
Protecting a sensitive ecosystem
Horton Plains forms part of Sri Lanka's Central Highlands UNESCO World Heritage property and contains an environmentally sensitive ecosystem.
Authorities say the proposed changes are intended to reduce the impact of conventional vehicles and high visitor volumes while allowing tourism to continue in a more sustainable manner.
Proposals are not yet operating rules
The visitor-limit, advance-booking and electric-shuttle measures are currently proposals or plans.
They should not be reported as already implemented.
No confirmed launch date, final visitor quota or new ticket price has yet been established in the information supporting this report.