Our Work

Skilled and Resilient Migrant Workers Project

Funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, IESC implemented the $1.5-million Skilled and Resilient Migrant Workers Project (SRMW). The project was designed to make overseas employment safer and more rewarding by providing better occupational information and by increasing the skill levels of Sri Lankans going abroad for work. It helped reintegrate returning workers by assessing their capabilities and linking them to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in Sri Lanka. With more than 50,000 migrant workers returning to Sri Lanka due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project came at a very critical time as many returnees have very few employment prospects. To deliver support to Sri Lankan migrant workers and civil society organizations working with migrants, IESC leveraged the counseling, vocational skills development, and entrepreneurship support mechanisms built by YouLead.

Results

Tourism Resilience in Sri Lanka Project

The Tourism Resilience in Sri Lanka Project (TRP) was a three-year project funded by the European Union and implemented by IESC from 2021 to 2024. The project focused on helping Sri Lanka’s tourism recovery and resilience efforts through retaining jobs and small businesses, supporting sustainability, innovation, skills development, and resilience through the creation of a new signature experience focused on sustainability and community development, and building small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are aligned to the signature experience and better able to compete in the changing tourism landscape.

Through TRP, IESC designed and developed a 300 km hiking and walking trail network across Central and Uva Provinces—The Pekoe Trail. The trail has been mapped, assessed, and signposted. Every week hundreds of walkers explore the trail, which winds through the Sri Lankan tea country. The project also supported registration of The Pekoe Trail Company (Gte) Ltd, the independent destination management organization that is now responsible for management and upkeep of the trail.

TRP was an integral part of YouLead, also implemented by IESC, contributing more than $2.5 million in cost share to YouLead.

Results

• 1,117 business owners and youth participated in upskilling programs related to the hospitality industry to improve their tourism sector skills
• 271 tourism SMEs trained in workforce development, health and safety, and digital skills development
• 80 SMEs awarded small grants through two grants programs to help them survive multiple economic shocks, mobilize capital, and support innovative new product development and diversification of tourism business and experiences along The Pekoe Trail
• 57 SMEs completed a five-month incubator to refine their business plans, receive expert mentorship, and ultimately capitalize on market opportunities from The Pekoe Trail to grow their businesses
• 3 research studies completed to analyze demand for the trail’s visitor volume; assess biodiversity of the trail, carrying capacity to absorb visitors, and entry points for conservation interventions; and identify best practices and guidelines for nature-based tourism as it relates to The Pekoe Trail

Updates

• The world’s greatest places of 2025: The Pekoe Trail
• The European Union and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority unveil first ever long distance walking trail
• “Serendipity Trails”: SLTDA, EU and USAID kick off first long-distance walking trail