Blast adds to hoteliers’ woes
In the aftermath of yesterday’s bus bomb at Godagama in Hikkaduwa, hoteliers said the blast dealt another blow to the tottering tourism industry. Industry sources said yesterday’s blast occurred at a time when the country had been experiencing low tourist arrivals in spite of the peak season.

Senaka De Silva, who heads an association representing hoteliers in the south, the numbers would further decrease in the face of recent escalation of violence. “When tourists learn of incidents such as the Godagama blast, they will certainly think twice before coming to Sri Lanka. Besides road closures and security checks also discourage the tourists from visiting Sri Lanka,” he said.

Many hoteliers said they did not inform the guests about the blast because they did not want to cause unnecessary panic. “If they inquire about the situation we inform them very briefly. We do this to avoid worrying our guests unnecessarily,” said a Galle hotel official.