Financial Times

Visit now and help recovery, tourists told
By Iromi Perera
The Tourist Board estimates that the tsunami has caused damages worth US$ 200 million to hotels and is launching a campaign to convince tourists that most other attractions are intact and that visiting the island now would help the recovery effort.

Even though tourist arrivals have dropped by about half since the December 26 tsunami, before which arrivals per day were on average around 2,000, the industry remains positive.

Authorities are asking all hotels to give exact information on the individual estimated damage so that a correct figure could be known. Out of the total 14,350 hotel rooms in Sri Lanka, 7,682 were affected by the tsunami. Currently there are around 4,500 rooms back in operation. Many international hotel chains and related establishments remain positive about Sri Lanka's tourism industry, as Sri Lanka is a multi-destination country.

The coastal areas of Sri Lanka are not the only attractions which draw tourists and therefore the industry will not suffer a major setback. The Sri Lanka Tourist Board is trying to encourage visitors from the United Kingdom, from where the island receives its largest number of tourists, telling them that Sri Lanka has much more to offer like historical and heritage sites, adventure tourism and the hill country. Over 100,000 British visitors spent their holidays on the island last year.

"We are deeply grateful to the British people for their kind thoughts, generosity and words of encouragement," said Charmarie Maelge, Director of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board in the United Kingdom." By visiting Sri Lanka now, you will further help the country to recover. Tourists should not be deterred by the thought that they may be a burden on the country at these difficult times. To the contrary, they will contribute to the stability of the economy and thereby to the well being of the Sri Lankan communities."

Although hoteliers and authorities are positive about reviving the industry as soon as possible, the environment in which the hotels will have to function is a point to consider. Most hotels along the coast are surrounded by shelters and displaced people. Whether this would cause a problem for guests and tourists is a question that is asked by many.

According to S. Kalaiselvam, Director of the Tourist Board, various organizations are working on resettlement as soon as possible and therefore this would not cause a problem once hotels reopen. Vasantha Leelananda, President of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators said most of the major international tour operators like Thomas Cook, TUI and Kuoni have suspended travel to Sri Lanka for January. Two major concerns surround travel to Sri Lanka: the health and possible epidemic risk, based on what organizations like the WHO have been saying, and the damaged infrastructure.

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