{"id":1182,"date":"2026-01-07T08:00:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T08:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/?p=1182"},"modified":"2026-01-14T06:36:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T06:36:00","slug":"exploring-the-southern-coast-an-experiential-learning-journey-for-bms-tourism-and-hospitality-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/2026\/01\/07\/exploring-the-southern-coast-an-experiential-learning-journey-for-bms-tourism-and-hospitality-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the Southern Coast: An Experiential Learning Journey for BMS Tourism and Hospitality Students"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"1182\" class=\"elementor elementor-1182\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-59dcacf1 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"59dcacf1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eb54fe5 elementor-align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-info\" data-id=\"eb54fe5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-info.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-inline-items elementor-icon-list-items elementor-post-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-7f7f466 elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"datePublished\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/2026\/01\/07\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-far-calendar-alt\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M148 288h-40c-6.6 0-12-5.4-12-12v-40c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h40c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v40c0 6.6-5.4 12-12 12zm108-12v-40c0-6.6-5.4-12-12-12h-40c-6.6 0-12 5.4-12 12v40c0 6.6 5.4 12 12 12h40c6.6 0 12-5.4 12-12zm96 0v-40c0-6.6-5.4-12-12-12h-40c-6.6 0-12 5.4-12 12v40c0 6.6 5.4 12 12 12h40c6.6 0 12-5.4 12-12zm-96 96v-40c0-6.6-5.4-12-12-12h-40c-6.6 0-12 5.4-12 12v40c0 6.6 5.4 12 12 12h40c6.6 0 12-5.4 12-12zm-96 0v-40c0-6.6-5.4-12-12-12h-40c-6.6 0-12 5.4-12 12v40c0 6.6 5.4 12 12 12h40c6.6 0 12-5.4 12-12zm192 0v-40c0-6.6-5.4-12-12-12h-40c-6.6 0-12 5.4-12 12v40c0 6.6 5.4 12 12 12h40c6.6 0 12-5.4 12-12zm96-260v352c0 26.5-21.5 48-48 48H48c-26.5 0-48-21.5-48-48V112c0-26.5 21.5-48 48-48h48V12c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h40c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v52h128V12c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12h40c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v52h48c26.5 0 48 21.5 48 48zm-48 346V160H48v298c0 3.3 2.7 6 6 6h340c3.3 0 6-2.7 6-6z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 7, 2026\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-1ebac92 elementor-inline-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\" ti-location-pin\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-custom\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKosgoda Turtle Hatchery \t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-d2772e8 elementor-inline-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\" ti-location-pin\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-custom\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMadu Ganga \t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-681b2a8 elementor-inline-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\" ti-location-pin\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-custom\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGalle Fort \t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-fdf167e elementor-inline-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\" ti-location-pin\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-custom\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLe Grand Hotel Galle\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d3fe06e elementor-arrows-position-inside elementor-pagination-position-outside elementor-widget elementor-widget-image-carousel\" data-id=\"d3fe06e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;slides_to_show&quot;:&quot;2&quot;,&quot;autoplay_speed&quot;:2000,&quot;speed&quot;:1000,&quot;image_spacing_custom&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:15,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;navigation&quot;:&quot;both&quot;,&quot;autoplay&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;pause_on_hover&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;pause_on_interaction&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;infinite&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;image_spacing_custom_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;image_spacing_custom_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"image-carousel.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-carousel-wrapper swiper\" role=\"region\" aria-roledescription=\"carousel\" aria-label=\"Scipulse 2025\" dir=\"ltr\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-carousel swiper-wrapper\" aria-live=\"off\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"1 of 6\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/An-Experiential-Learning-Journey-for-BMS-Tourism-6.jpg\" alt=\"An Experiential Learning Journey for BMS Tourism (6)\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"2 of 6\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/An-Experiential-Learning-Journey-for-BMS-Tourism-5.jpg\" alt=\"An Experiential Learning Journey for BMS Tourism (5)\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"3 of 6\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/An-Experiential-Learning-Journey-for-BMS-Tourism-4.jpg\" alt=\"An Experiential Learning Journey for BMS Tourism (4)\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"4 of 6\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/An-Experiential-Learning-Journey-for-BMS-Tourism-3.jpg\" alt=\"An Experiential Learning Journey for BMS Tourism (3)\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"5 of 6\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/An-Experiential-Learning-Journey-for-BMS-Tourism-2.jpg\" alt=\"An Experiential Learning Journey for BMS Tourism (2)\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"6 of 6\"><figure class=\"swiper-slide-inner\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"swiper-slide-image\" src=\"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/An-Experiential-Learning-Journey-for-BMS-Tourism-1.jpg\" alt=\"An Experiential Learning Journey for BMS Tourism (1)\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper-button elementor-swiper-button-prev\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-chevron-left\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M646 125C629 125 613 133 604 142L308 442C296 454 292 471 292 487 292 504 296 521 308 533L604 854C617 867 629 875 646 875 663 875 679 871 692 858 704 846 713 829 713 812 713 796 708 779 692 767L438 487 692 225C700 217 708 204 708 187 708 171 704 154 692 142 675 129 663 125 646 125Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper-button elementor-swiper-button-next\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-chevron-right\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M696 533C708 521 713 504 713 487 713 471 708 454 696 446L400 146C388 133 375 125 354 125 338 125 325 129 313 142 300 154 292 171 292 187 292 204 296 221 308 233L563 492 304 771C292 783 288 800 288 817 288 833 296 850 308 863 321 871 338 875 354 875 371 875 388 867 400 854L696 533Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-59b2bb6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"59b2bb6\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7eb4a69\" data-id=\"7eb4a69\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7519e4c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7519e4c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>On 7 January 2026, students from the <strong>BSc (Hons) International Tourism, Hospitality and Events<\/strong> programme at BMS Campus set out on an educational tour of Sri Lanka\u2019s Southern Province. Recognizing the region as one of the country&#8217;s premier tourism hotspots, the visit was designed to enhance experiential learning by providing students with direct exposure to world-famous cultural and historical sites. This initiative aimed to bridge the gap between classroom concepts and the real-world dynamics of the tourism industry.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6552819 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6552819\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The journey began with an in-depth exploration of the <strong>Madu Ganga estuary<\/strong>, where students participated in a guided 15-island boat tour. This segment of the trip highlighted the delicate balance between ecology, culture, and community. Key stops included the <strong>River Temple<\/strong>, where students observed spiritual heritage, and <strong>Cinnamon Island<\/strong>, which offered a look into traditional processing practices. Additionally, students visited a natural fish therapy point to see local livelihoods in action and studied unique mangrove formations at the point where the river meets the Indian Ocean, gaining a deeper understanding of biodiversity and responsible tourism operations.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b7ecc40 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b7ecc40\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The focus then shifted to conservation and heritage at the <strong>Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery<\/strong> and the iconic <strong>Galle Fort<\/strong>. At the hatchery, students observed marine life protection and eco-tourism strategies aimed at preserving biodiversity. In contrast, the visit to Galle Fort allowed students to study the complexities of heritage conservation and community-based tourism. By exploring these sites, students were able to witness the practical application of cultural sustainability and its importance in maintaining global tourism standards.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d49b124 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d49b124\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span class=\"citation-64\">To provide a comprehensive view of the industry, the tour concluded with a professional look at the luxury sector at <b>Le Grand Hotel, Galle<\/b><\/span>. <span class=\"citation-63\">Students were given a guided tour of the property, focusing on high-end hotel management and the operational standards required in the luxury hospitality market<\/span>. BMS Campus extends its sincere appreciation to module lecturer Mr. <span class=\"citation-62\">Suranga Tennakoon for his guidance, as well as the organizers and faculty members whose efforts made this valuable educational initiative a success<\/span>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ece70c2 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget-tablet__width-initial elementor-widget-mobile__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ece70c2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Photos and  Media Links <\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c7196bc e-grid e-con-full e-con e-child\" data-id=\"c7196bc\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c801eb8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-facebook-embed\" data-id=\"c801eb8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"facebook-embed.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"min-height: 1px\" class=\"elementor-facebook-widget fb-post\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/media\/set\/?vanity=bmssrilanka&#038;set=a.1080656927624474\" data-show-text=\"false\"><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 7 January 2026, students from the BSc (Hons) International Tourism, Hospitality and Events programme at BMS Campus set out on an educational tour of Sri Lanka\u2019s Southern Province. Recognizing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1184,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[358],"tags":[371,364,360,361,369,365,368,370,366,367,362,363,359],"class_list":["post-1182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-field-visits-experiential-learning","tag-bms-tourism-students","tag-ecotourism","tag-experiential-learning","tag-field-visit","tag-galle-fort","tag-heritage-tourism","tag-kosgoda-turtle-hatchery","tag-le-grand-hotel-galle","tag-luxury-hospitality","tag-madu-ganga","tag-southern-sri-lanka","tag-sustainable-tourism","tag-tourism-and-hospitality"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1182"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1192,"href":"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1182\/revisions\/1192"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bms.ac.lk\/News-and-Events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}