Licenced Tourist Driver in Sri Lanka
What is a Licenced Driver?
A licenced driver means one that has a current licence from SLTDA (Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority).
There are different types of licence; Tourist Guide Lecturer and Tourist Driver. All drivers that hold one of these licences have completed a training course accredited by the SLTDA.
Tourist Guide Lecturer
These are have advanced training and are more qualified as large group lecturers, Tourist Guide Lecturers are able to act as guides at the major tourist sites in Sri Lanka. This means that you do not have to hire additional guides at extra fees.
There are four different types of Tourist Guide Lecturer:
- Chauffeur Tourist Guide Lecturers are qualified to transport small groups up to 7 passengers and work as both a driver and tourist guide.
- National Tourist Guide Lecturers are qualified to guide larger groups, normally in a coach driven by a separate driver.
- Local area Tourist Guide Lecturers are qualified to guide at sites within a specific area of the country.
- Site Specific Tourist Guide Lecturers are qualified to guide at a specific site.
If you have one of the first two then they are able to guide you at any site in Sri Lanka without having extra guides.
A Chauffeur guide can also be your driver.
Tourist Driver
There are many Tourist Drivers in Sri Lanka. Some are extremely experienced, possess excellent foreign language skills and have lived and worked abroad.
There are others who do not have the experience and are still learning the tourism industry, and there are many somewhere in between. The most important thing to note is that every Tourist Driver licenced by the SLTDA will have a note on the front of their licence stating “NOT FOR Guiding”.
This refers to guiding at tourist sites in Sri Lanka. It does not mean that they cannot drive you around the country for a week. It simply means that if you want a guided tour of a specific tourist site like Sigiriya you will have to pay for a separate guide.
So Do I Need a Licenced Driver?
There is no legal requirement for you to hire a licenced driver in Sri Lanka. The decision of choosing a Tourist Guide Lecturer or a Tourist Driver normally comes down to cost, availability and whether you like to be guided on culture, history, nature etc.
Some people have other priorities such as age, appearance, driving style, photography skills, knowledge of western culture and lots more.
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