News
Hoteliers cry foul over police directive for weekly in-house guest info
View(s):Short-staffed industry finds it impractical and a violation of guests’ privacy while the law says it’s to ensure tourists’ security.
Nadia Fazlulhaq reports
The recent circular issued by the Inspector General of Police calling for information on tourists on a weekly basis from hotels and guest houses, have received more brickbats than bouquets from the hospitality industry.
Tourists on the Matara beach. Pic by Krishan Jeewaka Jayaruk
The circular issued under section 76 of the Police Ordinance, police stations in tourist zones are to distribute a database application called ‘monitoring of foreigners in police areas’ to all hotels from star class, boutique, resorts to motels, guest houses, lodges. The application will include the last/first/second and other names of a foreigner, country, nationality, profession, passport number, visa details (type, from, to), hotel/lodge, location, date checked in, date checked out and police area.
This report will be collected by police officers of relevant police stations on a weekly basis. Sri Lanka Hotels Association President, Jayantissa Kehelpannala told the Sunday Times that the submitting of a set of applications on a weekly basis is not practical, and that, it is not clear what the intention is, to collect information on foreigners.
“The association hopes to meet senior police officers and clarify the content in the circular and their purpose, as the Immigration Department records the arrival of tourists,” he said.
The section states that, “Every householder within such town and limits shall furnish the officer of police of his division, when required to do so by such officer, under the order received to that effect, from any Magistrate having jurisdiction within such town and limits, or from the Inspector-General of Police, with a list of all the inmates of his house, distinguishing the members of his family from the servants or others resident therein ; and he shall also, if it shall be so directed in the order of the Inspector-General of Police or Magistrate, report any increase or diminution, or change in the same ; and he shall not, having received such notice under such order, harbour a stranger without giving such notice thereof to the principal officer of police of his division.”
Those who fail to provide such information will be liable to a fine not exceeding Rs 50. Colombo City Hoteliers Association President, M. Shanti Kumar told the Sunday Times that despite this circular being issued to ensure the safety of tourists, there are practical difficulties.
“We are hoping to make representations and explain the practical complexity. Submitting once a month would be less complex, but weekly is very difficult, especially to major hotels. A 500-roomed hotel cannot submit a weekly report of the tourist details. We can maintain records and the police can obtain them anytime they wish to,” he said.
“We are unaware of the plan by the Police to maintain a database of more than one million tourists,” Mr Shanti Kumar said.
According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority’s latest statistics, 97,411 tourists arrived in the country in January this year. Last year, the country exceeded one million tourists. The target is to achieve 2.5 million tourists by 2016.
Hoteliers of South, President, Shamindra Fernando said that most hotels are experiencing a shortage of staff, and submitting weekly reports is an impractical task for many.
“Despite having a portable scanner for passports in some hotels, guests do not like being monitored over and over again. Obtaining details weekly and submitting it to police officers will indirectly violate the privacy of many tourists, especially those coming from Western countries,” he said.
He said that this has been a decision taken without consulting those within the industry. “Police officers came to the hotel premises and gave this application form to be filled every week. We were totally unaware of this decision,” Mr Fernando said. Another hotelier from Negombo, who wished to remain anonymous, said, that he would rather pay the Rs 50 fine, than submit details of tourists every week.
Tourist Police Acting Director, Senior Superintendent of Police, Maxie Procter said that the main reason to introduce the circular was to ensure the security of tourists. “These are done by relevant police stations, ensuring that tourists will not be inconvenienced, as information is obtained by hotels managements.
He said, initially, there would not be any centralised database systems, and details will be with the police stations. Attempts to contact the Tourism Development Authority’s Director General Dr. D.S. Jayaweera, via phone and email, failed.
Follow @timesonlinelk
comments powered by Disqus