PM says tourism is one that could give strongest help to Lankan economy

PM Dinesh Gunawardena

• Speaking at Jetwing’s Blue Oceanic Beach Hotel golden jubilee, suggests appointing honorary consuls to promote ‘Destination Sri Lanka’

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Friday declared that the tourism industry is the one that can give the strongest help to the Sri Lankan economy and called on the stakeholders to take innovative steps for its growth.

Speaking at the golden jubilee of the Blue Oceanic Beach Hotel of the Jetwing Hotels in Negombo, the Prime Minister stressed the need for the Government to build a network of honorary consuls and representatives abroad to introduce and promote ‘Destination Sri Lanka’ in in collaboration with the stakeholders of tourism industry and the hospitality sector.  The services of honorary consuls will not incur any expenditure to Sri Lanka as there are many friends of Sri Lanka abroad who are willing to promote tourism.

The Prime Minister said this kind of parallel honorary consul offices will help to promote Sri Lankan tourism faster as the officers of the diplomatic service are extremely busy exchanging communications in political capitals of the world on major bilateral issues.

The Prime Minister also urged the hospitality industry to look into the possibility of creating entities capable of self-generating energy, preferably renewable and assured that the Government would like to initiate a discussion on this issue with all relevant stakeholders.

Premier Gunawardena also suggested working together with the finance sector and the Central Bank to introduce a system to facilitate foreign tourists to pay in preferred forms of electronic payment. “Just as much as we encourage half a dozen international credit cards at the moment, it should further smoothen and popularise travellers coming from markets of Asian giants,” he said.   

The Prime Minister praised the hotels that involved communities to develop the food production in the local area. “This is a great initiative and must be fully supported by the Government. I am sure the Minister of Tourism who is also the Minister for Land will agree with me in broadening Government policy of Food Security drive and provide more land for cultivation in the short term to the industry and the community living around their hot spots.” 

“Our greatest wealth is our human resource. That’s what we must rightly invest in. Remember 50 years ago Herbert Cooray only created a family business, but it grew as he started to invest in young men and women, and it is all of you who have made it a world-class brand today,” the Prime Minister said.

He recalled the services rendered by the pioneer Jetwing Chairman, the late Herbert Cooray, who faced challenges courageously and expanded the hotel group without running away as some others did in the face of drop of tourist arrivals.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando, Parliamentarian Yadamini Gunawardena, Jetwing Chairman Hiran Cooray, late founder’s wife Menike Cooray and Directors Ruan Samarasimghe and Shiromal Cooray and top representatives of hospitality industry were present on this occasion.