Tamarind Gardens Homestay, a working farm and guesthouse in the Kandy District of Sri Lanka's Central Province, has noted that a wave of new direct air links to the island is reshaping how long haul travellers plan their itineraries as the principal December to March tourist season approaches.
Air connectivity to Sri Lanka has broadened considerably during 2026. British Airways begins a seasonal service between London Gatwick and Colombo on 23 October 2026, operating three times a week through the winter months, marking the airline's first route to the island. Jetstar Airways began direct services between Melbourne and Colombo in August, the first low cost link between Australia and Sri Lanka, while Air France, KLM and Lufthansa operate from their respective hubs. Edelweiss Air flies seasonally from Zurich and LOT Polish Airlines from Warsaw during the winter period.
The United Kingdom is Sri Lanka's second largest source market. Figures from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority record 149,989 British arrivals between January and August 2026, behind India with 385,483 and ahead of China with 100,828. Total arrivals for the eight month period reached 1,535,122, including 191,704 during August.
Ayesha Perera, co-founder of Tamarind Gardens, stated that direct routes change the shape of an itinerary rather than simply its cost. She added that travellers arriving without an overnight connection tend to move inland earlier in their trip and stay longer in one place, which suits properties in the hill country and central districts more than a schedule built around a single coastal base.
The change in connectivity coincides with a policy shift. Sri Lanka launched a World Bank supported National Tourism Strategic Plan for 2026 to 2031 on 31 August, designed to raise visitor spending, encourage longer stays and distribute tourism earnings across all nine provinces rather than concentrating them in established resort areas. Average earnings per visitor remain below the level recorded in 2018, despite arrivals in 2025 exceeding that year's total.
Kandy District sits within the central highlands, roughly three hours from the international airport, and combines the cultural sites of the former royal capital with tea country, reservoirs and farmland. Accommodation in the area ranges from city hotels to smallholdings and farm stays, the latter forming part of a wider agritourism segment that has grown as travellers have sought working landscapes rather than purpose built resorts.
Tamarind Gardens Digana offers chalet accommodation alongside a dairy operation, fruit and vegetable gardens, and village experiences through its Live Like a Local programme. Guests can learn traditional crafts, take part in cooking local meals, and observe ethical dairy farming methods firsthand. Perera noted that the property's position above the Victoria Reservoir places it within reach of Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya, allowing guests to base themselves inland rather than along the coast.
Tamarind Gardens is a ten acre working farm and guesthouse in Digana, Kandy District, offering chalet accommodation, cultural immersion experiences and community initiatives including the Liya Diriya Women's Society, which organises food distribution events for the surrounding village.
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For more information about Tamarind Gardens Homestay, contact the company here:
Tamarind Gardens Homestay
Ayesha Perera
+94779071777
Ayesha55555@gmail.com
Tamarind Gardens Homestay
Tamarind Gardens
Aluthgangapitiya, Aluthwatte
Digana
20180
Sri Lanka
