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Visitors eager to come, but uncertainty and unrest make them think twice
View(s):By Renishka Fernando
Suresh Weerasuriya, the owner and managing director of the hotel, also has another tourist hotel in Colombo offering six rooms with bed and breakfast and it also had no bookings in June.
This is just one of the many stories of tourism-related businesses that are in a quandary.
According to Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) President M. Shanthikumar, occupancy is less than 10 percent.
Mr Weerasuriya said political stability is of the utmost importance for tourism.
Some businesses are on the verge of shutting down.
“We need help from the Government, but the Government also does not have any money. It’s a vicious cycle,” Mr Weerasuriya said.
The unrest has led to fear among tourists who want to come. In addition, tourism is also severely affected due to the scarcity of fuel.
“A few groups that were scheduled to tour said they were concerned about the unrest and they might not come,” said Nuwan Mahawattage, the general secretary of the Sri Lanka Institute of National Tour Guide Lecturers (SLINTGL).
That Sri Lankans are hospitable is well known, but right now there is uncertainty, he notes.
“It is difficult for tourists to imagine they will be safe and nobody wants to spend their holiday with qualms and inconveniences,’’ he noted.
Industry stakeholders have been transparent with tourists ensuring that all their doubts are addressed. Concurrently, hotels and other service providers are working hard to make sure that tourists encounter minimal inconvenience.
Mr Mahawattage told the Sunday Times that it is important to be truthful about the inconveniences visitors might have to face. “We can provide services, but there are logistical issues,’’ he said.
Employees are also heavily affected by the cancellations.
“Some of them have alternative incomes, but most depend on tours,” said Mr Mahawattage. Many experienced tour guide lecturers have switched to other work,
Mr Mahawattage, who also runs a medical devices operating company, had scheduled a medical workshop with foreign professionals on July 11, which had also been cancelled.
Dutch Hospital , Colombo: Restaurants devoid of local or foreign visitors. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
Tour groups scheduled to come in November have also cancelled.
An important observation made by him is that many tourists want to visit Sri Lanka, but the emergency and curfew along with the shortage of many essentials have made it an inconvenient place to travel. “It would be a breach of contract if we can’t provide them with the promised services.”
“The lack of income will definitely affect the ability for stakeholders to service their loan commitments,” said Nishad Wijetunga, the president of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO). He added that if loan moratoriums are not extended, many small and medium operators will not be in a position to continue.
During the coronavirus disease pandemic, many businesses were able to survive due to local patronage and from various credit card offers. But now, the fuel scarcity makes it extremely difficult for even locals to get around, and the hotel sector is deeply affected, said Mr Wijetunga.
According to him, when recovery kicks in at the first sign of stability, the hotel sector will not be ready.
“The tourist arrival figures show that there hasn’t been a major decline in bookings in comparison to last year. Due to some flight cancellations at the Heathrow airport, we have lost a few tourists,” noted Priyantha Fernando, chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). Sri Lanka has recorded nearly 431,000 arrivals so far this year, while more than 29,000 tourists are in the country at the moment.
So far, fortunately, tourists in Sri Lanka have not encountered negative experiences with the industry prioritising their safety.
The SLTDA has a goal of 800,000 tourists for 2022.
According to him, if
the political and economic situation becomes stable, visitors could increase.
Mr Fernando is of the view that any solution to the economic crisis should factor in tourism. “Some form of priority must be given for tourism with a long-term vision.’’
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