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SL looks to Indian visitors to restore battered tourism sector

7 July 2022 02:48 am - 12     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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REUTERS: Sri Lanka will hold road shows in five key Indian cities to attract more visitors from its populous northern neighbour in a bid to bring more foreign currency into the crisis-hit island, Tourism Minister said yesterday. 


 Known for its rolling hills, pristine beaches and laidback seaside towns, Sri Lanka is grappling with its worst financial crisis in seven decades, partly triggered by economic mismanagement and the COVID-19 pandemic, which wiped out its lucrative tourism industry.


The country of 22 million people is now without enough foreign currency to import even essentials, leading to shortages of medicine, food and fuel.

Despite the turmoil, Sri Lanka has seen a steady trickle of 61,951 Indian tourists - the most from any foreign country - in the first five months of this year and the government is keen to bring in more Indians.
“Sri Lanka must have tourism revenue if it is to emerge from this crisis. That is essential,” Tourism Minister Harin Fernando told reporters.


Sri Lanka’s Tourism Ministry will hold road shows in five major Indian cities, seeking to draw business and leisure travellers, besides destination weddings, Fernando said.
“India is a very important market for us,” he said.


Fernando said he hoped the country would end the year with around one million tourists, compared to less than 200,000 arrivals last year, even though some countries, including Britain, have issued advisories asking citizens to only undertake essential travel to Sri Lanka.


“We are confident the winter season will be good,” Fernando said.
Running out of fuel, Sri Lanka has extended a countrywide school shutdown and asked public employees to work from home. 


The country will present its debt restructuring plan to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in August, a crucial step for securing a possible US $ 3 billion programme to put the economy back on track.

 

 


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  Comments - 12

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  • Indian Thursday, 07 July 2022 08:10 AM

    This is why Jaffna airport runway should be extended for international travel. It is taking time for the government to understand.

    Jude Thursday, 07 July 2022 09:14 AM

    Hey dumbass just shut up !! Yeah!!

    Jude Thursday, 07 July 2022 09:16 AM

    Harin talk as if he's the chocolate Einstein!! Huh!!

    Rohan Thursday, 07 July 2022 10:03 AM

    Only a fool like Harin has smart ideas like this

    felix de mel Thursday, 07 July 2022 10:05 AM

    Please check your records as to who bring in more foreign exchange. Whether Indians or other nationalities. Indians just come here either for the Casinos or for other sundry trade.

    dickie bird Thursday, 07 July 2022 08:23 PM

    oh ! Harin promotes Indian visitors through his visit to England.

    Ranjan Thursday, 07 July 2022 11:09 PM

    Please release duty free bicycles for tourists to go on tours

    Rishan Thursday, 07 July 2022 11:46 PM

    Better fix Oil/Gas issue first and Medicine issues ...tourist will flock afterwards...when they see the long queue for fuel they will faint.....

    Annamalai Friday, 08 July 2022 01:00 AM

    Even after bankruptcy, Elite SL think they r superior and doing some help to Indians by opening tourism in comments. You deserve what you r going throught. Chinese truly r your best partners. u deserve them. envy n ego has no limits so let it be

    Nandasena R Friday, 08 July 2022 04:08 AM

    Unfortunately majority Sri Lankans think that if it is WHITES or Chinese they are loaded with money and therefore whatever they do is right. In the process, relegate the Indians to a tourists of second class. The real truth is that a large proportion of these so called white tourists come from Eastern Europe and a large number of them are what one will classify as "White Trash". Equally look at the disgusting behaviour of some mainland Chinese, shoving, yelling with no consideration for others. If some of the majority Sinhala Buddhists want to invite these trash and lay a red carpet and lick their boots so be it.

    Charles Jansz Friday, 08 July 2022 05:24 AM

    For someone who has had many " road shows" about "failures" and "curses" inside and outside the Diyawanna a few more "road shows" should be no problem!

    S Thambiah Friday, 08 July 2022 06:56 AM

    Very true. Must target tourists who spend , not the "trash" as referred by another. Recovery is based on dollar revenue generated by tourists, not merely by the number of tourists. First address the issues - fuel, economy, electricity shortage, female tourists getting raped etc etc before Harin making out his overseas travel will bring millions of tourists. Without a good product, no amount of marketing, promotional travel, getting Holywood actors to appear in ads would help. He is wasting his efforts and hoodwinking the public.


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