By Sunimalee Dias
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has made a clarion call for travellers from Europe to holiday in the island nation to save it from its present crisis.
The tourism industry met this week, along with the newly appointed Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, ambassadors of key European markets to consider relaxing or removing the travel advisories issued by their respective government against travel to Sri Lanka.
The industry had pointed out that sending their people to Sri Lanka is one of the main ways of generating the required foreign exchange needed to run the country. Present at the meeting were representatives of the different tourism associations and industry heads.
While Germany stated that they had already relaxed the travel advisory by Monday other countries had made queries on the lack of essentials and the need for political stability.
Jetwing Symphony Chairman Hiran Cooray told the Business Times they also need to continue the progress made on the global promotion campaign and also other short term campaigns through familiarisation tours for international journalists, bloggers and travel agents to have a first-hand experience on the ground.
Commenting on the non-availability of imported foods, Mr. Cooray pointed out that Sri Lanka needs to serve that which is unique to this country and not feed the guests what they have already experienced back home.
“About six or seven years ago we stopped serving imported fruits and even with cooked food items we have been trying to serve what is available in Sri Lanka,” he said adding that the industry needs to “think differently.”
Others in the industry also pointed out “by bringing tourists they will be helping the country” although some feel guilty when they arrive to see the suffering of the people right before their eyes. “They are helping the people in the queues,” one official said.
In the meantime, with Sri Lankans also facing a crisis due to a shortage of fuel most are averse to travelling for leisure which is also having a ripple effect right down to the workforce. “Locals are also not travelling due to the fuel crisis and airlines are suffering and we are finding it difficult to pay the salaries,” Mt. Lavinia Hotel Chairman Sanath Ukwatte said.
With the summer over, he noted that they are not trying to look for the winter as travel advisories have adversely impacted sentiment.
In fact, Sri Lanka is currently experiencing more than 80 per cent cancellations for the summer due to the political unrest in the country and since emergency was declared, Tourist Hotels Association President M. Shanthikumar.
Mr. Shanthikumar also said that business which picked up in the first few months then dropped by about 90 per cent in March.
The industry has also requested that the moratoriums granted since the start of the pandemic could be continued as they are due to expire by June 30.
Currently, everybody is in operation with the limited business and in time to come if the moratorium is not extended then the establishments will close and most of the SMEs in the industry will be severely impacted, Mr. Shanthikumar explained.
The industry is now wondering how to pay salaries of their staff leave alone the loans and a continuation of the current crisis is set to bring on layoffs that could prove detrimental to this sector and the people.
