Mirissa Water Sport

Development of water based leisure industry is one of the main objectives of BAF. Within this framework, BAF provides the necessary training to youth in identified water based leisure industry activities and encourage them to venture into commercial operations. Although Sri Lanka is an island with many small harbours spread around the coast, only little attention has been paid to tourism promotion of water based leisure activities and the yachting industry.  BAF intends to act as a catalyst to introduce sailing at sea and boating in order to create employment and to stimulate youth to venture new tourist activities.

Mirissa Water Sports: ‘the first success story’

A year following the tsunami (end 2004), 11 youths originated from Mirissa harbour area were trained in various skills such as swimming, sailing, diving, leisure sail boat handling and maintenance, safety, fire fighting at sea, English and basic marketing and accounting.
 
6 of them were assisted to form the commercial entity “MirissaWater Sports”. The Founder of BAF Foundation, Mr Pierre Pringiers, provided them 2 sailing dhoni boats and a fishing boat to allow them offering sport fishing, sailing, coastal cruises, snorkelling, canoeing and river trips to local and foreign tourists.
 

When they started the business of Whale Watching, their revenues increased considerably allowing them to purchase the initially provided boats and to purchase a new large boat exclusively used for whale watching activities. During about 2 years, BAF assisted MWS in terms of accounting, marketing, communication, boat maintenance… With the experience they became more and more professional and one day they decided to handle their accounting and marketing on their own. That was the trigger point of their independence.
 

Since 2 years, they are profitable and fully independent from BAF Foundation. Now that the 3 decades civil war in the country is over, they plan to open an antenna of MWS in Trincomalee Bay on the Eastern coast of the island, thus creating training and employment opportunities to youth from Trincomalee area.
 

For more information: www.mirissawatersports.com