Tourism in Sri Lanka has not been disrupted from the recent swine flu or H1N1 virus pandemic which has spread from Mexico, where it originated, to the United States, Canada, parts of Europe and most recently to Asian countries like China and South Korea. Director General of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority S. Kalaiselvam told The Sunday Times FT that no inquiries have been made about the threat of swine flu in Sri Lanka so far.
Mr. Kalaiselvam said the drop in tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka over the past few months was due to the global economic crisis and the security situation. He added that he was unaware if there were any decreases in tourism in other Asian countries attributed specifically to the swine flu.
SriLankan Airlines has taken steps to block swine flu by implementing a series of precautionary measures to protect passengers and prevent the spread of the disease. Head of Delivery Service Captain Milinda Ratnayake said SriLankan Airlines is reassuring passengers that there is no cause for alarm. “SriLankan Airlines does not operate to North America where the disease has reached epidemic proportions,” he said in a statement.
The airline has in the recent past taken similar precautions during the SARS and Bird Flu epidemics, although no cases of either disease were ever detected in Sri Lanka.
SriLankan says all its aircraft are fitted with modern air filtration systems that have HEPA filters which trap particles including bacteria. The ventilation system also restricts the movement of air around the cabin by pumping air in from the ceiling and drawing it out at floor level to ensure a downward circulation pattern. Sri Lanka’s authorities have set up a special health desk at the Bandaranaike International Airport, and issued special forms for passengers to fill on arrival. Notices have also been displayed in several languages to create awareness among passengers on the disease. |
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