Govt. affirms tourists safe and sound

Tuesday, 30 May 2017 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Hoteliers’ fear bookings will see a drastic drop in next 2-months due to adverse international reports
Insists tourist destination safe, continue to visit Sri Lanka
Ministry Secretary says no need to overreact on the situation, no revisions in targets

By Charumini de Silva

The Tourism Development Ministry yesterday assured that “no tourists or hotels” were affected from torrential downpours which led to flooding and landslides in 15 districts across Sri Lanka.

“There were no cases reported with regard to tourists. We can assure that they are safe. We have also not received any adverse reports on hotels and resorts being affected as well,” Tourism Development Ministry Secretary Janaka Sugatadasa told the Daily FT.

The heavy rains pounded Sri Lanka since Thursday (25 May), triggering huge landslides and floods displacing homes for nearly 600,000 which wreaked havoc across the island.

While reiterating no tourists or hotels were affected, the Bentota-Beruwela Hoteliers’ Association however insisted that owing to adverse international reports noting that the “entire country is affected” by floods and earth slips they fear there would be a drastic drop in hotel bookings in the next two months.

“It is important to inform international travellers that all tourist destinations within the country are safe and they should continue to visit,” he stressed.

Stating that it was too early to comment on the impacts of hotel bookings and cancellations as at now, he cautioned that there is a possibility of a major drop within the next couple of months.

When asked from Sugathadasa if the authorities would have to scale back the tourist arrival target of 2.5 million and $4 billion earnings for this year he asserted that there would be no need for that.

“There is no need to revise the targets. The monsoonal rains are not unusual for Sri Lanka, it happens every year. I do not think we need to overreact,” the Secretary pointed out.