Sri Lankans not welcome at Mirissa Bay Hotels

20 January 2016 04:26 am - 56 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Several restaurants located in the Mirissa Bay have refused to serve food, beverages and provide accommodation to Sri Lankans because of their anti-social behavior, several customers complained.

Based on complaints of discrimination by Sri Lankans who had visited these hotels, Daily Mirror contacted some of the hotel owners in Mirissa and they too confirmed that they were reluctant to serve Sri Lankans because of their unruly behaviour.

“I and two of my friends were turned away from several restaurants on the Mirissa Bay after being told by restaurant staff that they did not serve locals. When we made some inquiries, the reasons given were that some Sri Lankan men behaved in an unruly manner and harassed foreign women. Unruly men are common in any country, the solution is to have bouncers to control the offenders,” a guest we contacted said.

Another Sri Lankan said when he ordered a coffee from a particular restaurant in the Mirissa Bay, the waiters had said they only served foreigners and could not serve the locals.

However, when contacted by Daily Mirror, one of the restaurant owners wishing to remain unnamed said they had stopped serving food and beverages and providing accommodation to Sri Lankans because of several complaints and mentioned some of the embarrassing incidents which had happened to tourists, tarnishing the image of Sri Lankan hospitality.

“Anti-social behaviour causing a nuisance to other guests, harassment, intimidation, threats or actual violence by local guests under the influence of liquor has been reported from many restaurants in the neighborhood including ours. We can’t let down our regular guests because of the locals who create problems for all concerned,” the owner said.

The guests urged the Tourism Ministry to intervene in such cases ensure that the locals are not deprived of being served at these hotels.

Meanwhile, several attempts made by Daily Mirror to contact the Director General of the Tourism Development Authority to inquire about the complaints had failed. (Piyumi Fonseka)

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Comments - 56

bandara Wednesday, 20 January 2016 04:08 PM

its good move initiated by that hotel, if SL is promoting tourism. but need to address locals too in different way.

V.Carlos Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:53 PM

but its good, cos we can behave, i brought down tourists to Unawatuna, they got beaten up and left the country the day after

V.carlos Wednesday, 20 January 2016 02:00 PM

South? Most be the people rom Rajatota

Muhandiram Wednesday, 20 January 2016 02:06 PM

Will the Sinha Le take up the cause of the locals at Mirissa Bay Hotels?

noor Wednesday, 20 January 2016 02:12 PM

Where is the tourist police ? May be to busy watching the bebes in bikini behind the bushes

gdj100 Wednesday, 20 January 2016 02:38 PM

You really are a buffalo for generalizing in such a narrow minded manner.

Aquarius Wednesday, 20 January 2016 02:41 PM

It is saddening to see most of the posts do not acknowledge the real problem. They seem to justify this behaviour. It has nothing to do with the hotel or money or what colour or origin we are. Just because we are Sri Lankans does not mean that we can behave in any which way. How would they feel if their own women are treated and degraded in this manner?

Appu Wednesday, 20 January 2016 02:42 PM

If you are a sri lankan, then you need to behave first to be serviced.

JohnJames Wednesday, 20 January 2016 02:45 PM

Leya, that fact is at every tourist spot, foreigners do pay more! The elephant home, Locals 100rps, whites, 2000rps

samarasinghe Wednesday, 20 January 2016 02:45 PM

How do you identify a Sinhalese from a muslim and a tamil, because all drink together and play together in the south

ANTON Wednesday, 20 January 2016 02:47 PM

@MADSMART...... DONT BEAT AROUND THE BUSH....... KIYANA MAGULAK KELIN KIYAPAN HALA GEMBO ...........

Sambo Wednesday, 20 January 2016 03:03 PM

Very true. I support the management 100%. Most of our people who became rich recently are not worthy to sit with ladies

Deanna Ryde Wednesday, 20 January 2016 03:18 PM

This stance by the hoteliers is a total lack of respect for their own kind and cannot and should not be tolerated. All Sri Lankans should boycott such hotels.. including the employees. Let them hire foreigners to work for them! The hoteliers ... if they really want to turn away unruly locals.. have a very simple and effective solution in my humble opinion, which is to simply increase the rates/prices .. then only locals who can afford foreign rates will walk in and order food or drinks or indeed check in. They can rest assured that those who can afford "foreign" rates are highly unlikely to misbehave.

Gamaya Wednesday, 20 January 2016 03:28 PM

Even the Cultural Triangle do something similar to this. Vehicles carrying foreigners are allowed go very close to Sigiriya Rock, sometime just below "Sigha Pada". Locals have to park vehicle at a car park about 1 Km from the Sigiriya Rock an forced to walk all the way. Even senior citizen are asked to walk. In rainy days this car park is full of water. Our country is a heaven to foreigners and a hell to locals. shame!!!!

S.P.RAMKUMAR Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:49 PM

Problem is not for payment, but bad contacts.

brainmaster Wednesday, 20 January 2016 04:12 PM

I agree 100%

Derosa Wednesday, 20 January 2016 04:21 PM

Our local boys they get together and go on a trip not to enjoy the vicinity or the atmosphere but to just drink and play the bongo and dance and shout in filth. Sometimes this seems to be a highly irritating behavior in places where so many other people are around. All i can say is we should learn a lesson at least in this way. i totally agree with the hoteliers.But they could have done it in a proper way by increasing the prices of all the services they provide. The locals who can afford such rates would be well behaved and educated parties not just a bunch of ahindaas from a company or college or club.

bubbagump Wednesday, 20 January 2016 05:20 PM

So I am married to a white girl and if i come to mirrissa with her will she be served and not me?? or we both will be served,

eel Wednesday, 20 January 2016 06:23 PM

correct move. Some sri lankans drink and behave like animals. Unfortunately the decent ones also get banned.

Sylvia Haik Wednesday, 20 January 2016 06:41 PM

The hotel owners are partially right. There are Sri Lankan hooligans who consistently misbehave. But, how are they to be recognized. There are indeed tourists who look like Sri Lankans and Sri Lankans who look like tourists.

Desmond Jeromme Wednesday, 20 January 2016 08:28 PM

Weerawansa says - this is also an international mafia. true?

Lanka Wednesday, 20 January 2016 08:58 PM

Talking about OUR CULTURE!!!!

CitizenPerera Wednesday, 20 January 2016 08:59 PM

Sinha LEI, all the Way! Bravo, Ohomma Yammu!!! We will now end up in the local Avunhalei.

iemerald Wednesday, 20 January 2016 09:25 PM

rajapakse is responsible for this.the people from and around hambanthota think they are above the law.good on hotels to ban these idiots.

Srisena Perera Thursday, 21 January 2016 06:58 PM

Wake up, my friend !

stanly Friday, 22 January 2016 08:34 AM

It is a shameful and pathetic plight of Srilanka.

Romesh Sunday, 24 January 2016 07:26 PM

Us Sri Lankans unruly behaviour? Im sure all of us who have commented on this page are Sri Lankans.. Do you behave poorly?? Is that what you are all saying here and agree with that? And these places accommodate Indians, and you mean to say Indians behave very well better than us Sri Lankans? As per a recent survey (http://www.dailymirror.lk/85089/who-spends-most-in-sri-lanka-european-or-asian-tourists) its said that the highest spenders are the Chinese. Would like to remind you that the Chinese are reputed for rudeness and objectionable behaviour. Their image is so bad that hotels from Thailand to Paris will not accept Chinese tourists but we accept the Chinese and not Sri Lankans. Looks like the next article on the web will be about Sri Lankans instead of the Chinese. If the problem here is unruly behaviour, just as the article says hire bouncers or guards and strictly follow a zero tolerance policy for unruly behaviour at the premises.

dhammika Tuesday, 26 January 2016 10:42 AM

Do believe people are missing the bigger picture. Recommend full investigation to all establishments in the area including the sale of drugs, prostitution and child prostitution.Any entertainment and food venue reserve the right to serve who they want, if locals misbehave, just call the Police.

Mason Wednesday, 20 January 2016 12:43 PM

Because of a few unruly elements, the decently behaving local visitors too are treated shabbily . The Hotel owners cannot be blamed for this, as they do not want adverse publicity. Devise a measure where these anti-social misfits could be made to spend a few months in the cooler, without being granted bail.

BuffaloaCitizen Wednesday, 20 January 2016 10:06 AM

Sri Lankans, specifically the Sinhalese from the South have this imagination that each and every white women is promiscuous and ever ready for sex on call. This could be a fall out from locals watching too many blue films where white women are the main actresses and this has created an ignorant imagination. ...

Kugan Wednesday, 20 January 2016 10:16 AM

Its also happening in parliment parently

ANTON Wednesday, 20 January 2016 10:17 AM

HOTEL OWNERS !!! DON'T COME TO COLOMBO TO BUY ANYTHING....... YOU ALSO WILL BE GIVEN THE SAME TREATMENT ...... "THESE ARE FOR SRI LANKANS , NOT FOR FOREIGN BOOT LICKERS"

Chaminda Wednesday, 20 January 2016 10:26 AM

I experienced the same at a hotel in Trinco, in fact I have a video that clearly shows the manager saying that locals have to go to the outside bar..

Buddhika Ranaweena Wednesday, 20 January 2016 10:36 AM

There is a solution, legalise prostitution

Sim Wednesday, 20 January 2016 10:40 AM

First we were refugees in our own country and now we are out cast the hotels refuse to serve us. Where are we heading to?

Romesh Wednesday, 20 January 2016 10:41 AM

I have experienced the same in Arugam bay and Unawatuna. Us locals spend alot more than the foreign tourists. Most of the foreign tourists are backpackers and settle for a non A/c room and have some biscuits for lunch.

perera Wednesday, 20 January 2016 11:20 AM

This is an outrages comment buffalo!

mnsmart Wednesday, 20 January 2016 11:49 AM

They have to act since people like you, exist in this country

Omini Wednesday, 20 January 2016 11:57 AM

Having witnessed the lecherous behavior by the local Romeos I find it hard to blame the hoteliers.

BanisMama Wednesday, 20 January 2016 12:15 PM

Keep off the south coast, specially Mirrisa and visit the Up Country, North and the East. Here everybody is welcome.

Tyron Wednesday, 20 January 2016 12:21 PM

There is a mini-container restaurant by the Ampitiya Junction which also refuses to serve locals. Foreigners are welcome to enter and enjoy the food while the locals have to sit out like dogs. This is in Kandy mind you - where they are proud to be Sinhala Buddhists. I requested to be admitted for a meal recently and they refused saying "facilities are only for foreigners".

leya Wednesday, 20 January 2016 12:37 PM

the misconception that foreigners have spend more than us means that we will never be given priority

Yuri Wednesday, 20 January 2016 10:06 AM

Sri Lankan not welcomed out side the countries. Now in Sri Lanka. It's a Joke.

Burt Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:06 PM

What is the situation on Sri Lanka born now foreign nationals? Do they expect diaspora to carry their passport around or they make the decision based on how one looks. Would appreciate if someone in the industry could enlighten me.

MR Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:08 PM

This is a sick attitude of our people. Not so long ago these hotel owners survived on local travelers. A resort just past the air port used to literally beg us to book their rooms and auditorium for our workshops. Today they are high and mighty. This is why this country is a land like no other.

rosh Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:13 PM

So then what about hikka , galle ?? Dont generalize everything.

ELANGOSS Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:18 PM

Are they hoisting Sri Lankan Flag in these hotel or foreign countries only. time to make underwear in Sri Lankan falgs

Sean28 Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:19 PM

I know this sounds crazy but the fact that this is a real issue is itself shocking. People may say harassment is everywhere; yes but seems to be there are more complaints here :/

Ram Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:19 PM

over to you BBS !!!

Perera Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:21 PM

There are two side of the coins, What the Hotel has done some extend is correct to keep the good name of the hotel and Sri Lanka since our law is not strong.Next is the hotel must offer Sri Lankans as when hotel is out of season Sri Lankan who helps them to runs/ maintain. So management must have to keep strict security measures to protect the hotel

NAZ Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:26 PM

same treatment to foreigners also on sri lankan Beaches.very nuisance to Tourists.

Mason Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:31 PM

This is how the newly ill-got rich flaunt their wealth.

RK Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:33 PM

This was not the result of one or two isolated incidents, but because of the continuous incidents. It is a bitter truth that most of the Sri Lankans behave in very indecent manner when they over drink. If they are within the limits of drink then they know to behave well but when they over drink they go beyond their limits to become nuisance to the society especially when they feel that they are in their own country and can do anything they want.

Kiri Gamarala Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:34 PM

Anti-social behavior? If the foreigners want privacy on the beach, then advise them to go to Maldives. Locals pay more than the Back packers and let the back packers sleep on the beach naked, because the present generation of foreigners likes to go back to tribal living with a back pack as the present day alternative to "pottaniya".

S.P.RAMKUMAR Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:47 PM

This serious social problem, We must respect ladies, you see recently Provincial council member did harassment in Singapore, Female members of Parliament complaining about harassment

eddy Wednesday, 20 January 2016 01:48 PM

I have to agree with the local hotels. It is better to settle for a poor tourist than unruly rich punks who think they own everything and cannot handle their liquor.

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Sri Lankans not welcome at Mirissa Bay Hotels

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