A mobile app dedicated to self-guiding tourist information, navigation and virtual tours in Sri Lanka’s Wilpattu National Park has been launched for Apple and Android.

It was developed by the Wildlife Conservation Department and GIZ Sri Lanka on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic and Development Cooperation (BMZ).

The app includes features such as park information, interactive navigation, online rating system, 360-degree virtual tours, and a downloadable map.

German Ambassador to Sri Lanka Holger Seubert said that he is proud to have been able to assist with the special project of developing an app for the tourism industry based on the national park.

He said: “This app is a game changer. I will promote tourism in the Wilpattu National Park amongst the German speaking community and dedicate to bring more and more tourists from Germany.”

Encompassing almost 130,000 hectares, Wilpattu is among the country’s largest and oldest protected areas, and is known worldwide for its leopard population.

It is located on the border of the historical ‘cultural triangle’ between the cities of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy, and therefore has the potential to become a regional centre for eco-sensitive tourism.

The project is using the National Park to raise environmental awareness and support peaceful coexistence. The various village communities engage in dialogue at joint events, for example on tourism development.

It also aims to handle the increasing numbers of visitors, which will boost the park’s appeal to visitors in the process. A monitoring system will observe the impact that tourism has on the park’s resources.