Several tourists cancel December holidays
Sri Lanka is currently reeling from the after effects of a number of travel advisories issued recently from key markets with cancellations and a general slowing down of tourist bookings for December, the start of the peak winter season.
A number of hoteliers complain that the general trend would be to fill the December month that would be booked by this time with around 75 per cent occupancies.
December is generally the start of the best season for the Sri Lankan tourism industry when there is an influx of travelers to the country.
Heritance Ahungalla General Manager Sisira Senaratne told the Business Times that there had been a couple of cancellations and noted that some of the unconfirmed bookings remained that way.
“It doesn’t look good,” he said pointing out that they were sensing some slow input of reservations. Mr. Senaratne said: “Easily we should be having about 75 per cent (bookings) by now for the December but now we are running at only 53 per cent.”
However, some of the German, Austrian and Dutch travellers that were on tour had informed hoteliers that though they had been issued travel advisories by their respective countries they would continue to visit the country especially now during the English cricket match season since they were aware that the outstations were better than the cities. In fact he noted that the tourists had pointed out to the hoteliers that they were aware of the situation in the country and that a political crisis was unlikely to hamper their travel plans to Galle right now.
Despite assurances of the sort by repeat travellers and tourists travelling to the country on advice by friends and family others were likely to stay away.
Jetwing Colombo Seven General Manager Rukamani Fernando said that about two conferences that included foreign participation scheduled to be held at the hotel were postponed.
Moreover, she explained that there is a drop in occupancy by about 10-12 per cent compared to the same period last year and noted that it was not yet picking up quite fast as it should.
A number of travel advisories have been issued following the October 26 change of political situation in the country when President Maithripala Sirisena appointed former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the country’s new Prime Minister.
Following these events Sri Lanka also launched its much-awaited and long – overdue promotion of the tourism industry with the new logo and tagline “So Sri Lanka” at the World Travel Mart (WTM) in London on Monday.
Participants at the WTM noted that there had been a media briefing following the launch and that there were no concerns regarding the current political crisis in Sri Lanka raised at the event even by tour operators and travel agents.