I can’t ask tourists to come, says Anura

Tourism Minister Anura Bandaranaike finally met representatives of the two main tourism associations on Thursday – a meeting that had been requested since the beginning of the year – but it turned out to be a damp squib, industry sources said.

Issues relating to the recent troubled situation and the impact on tourism were discussed and the industry appealed to the minister to tell the media or issue a statement on the lines that tourism has been unaffected. But the minister is reported to have said that his conscience didn’t permit him to make such a statement – implying that he couldn’t ask tourists to come when there was violence. He had said he would speak to the media at the London World Travel Mart.

Mr. Bandaranaike was not immediately available for comment. Among industry leaders present were Rajan Britto and Malin Hapugoda from Aitken Spence, Ajit Gunawardene from John Keells, Hiran Cooray from Jetwing and Chandra J. Wickramasinghe from Connaisance. The minister assured the industry that he would look into their request for the earlier new Tourism Act drafted about two years ago, to be re-introduced.

But industry sources said the Minister has also separately ordered the printing of 400 copies of the re-worked Tourism Act by a committee that he appointed, to be distributed to parliamentarians.

The industry is opposed to the introduction of the new version saying it gives back powers to the Tourist Board instead of strengthening the private sector.