The tourist industry is barely recovering after a prolonged terrorist threat. Tourists are beginning to arrive and all those involved--hoteliers, staff, tourist guides and drivers, handicraft makers and sellers --- are looking forward to resuming their livelihoods. The government should lay out the welcome mat to tourists while encouraging the hoteliers with tax breaks and promotion campaigns abroad.
Instead, what does the government do? It imposes a bed tax of US$20 and is now planning to cancel the visa upon arrival privilege granted to visitors from affluent countries. Instead, a visa fee is going to be charged. The excuse trotted out is that this is a reciprocal move: these countries don't give us visa upon arrival so why should we give them the privilege?
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Imagine if the UK, France, Germany, Australia, Italy, Japan and Canada were to grant Sri Lankans visas upon arrival? There would be a waiting list years long to board flights to these countries. And most Sri Lankans who land in these countries will never leave them. Over the years, our athletes, artistes, and even politicians have vanished into these countries on official visits. Sri Lankans have been boarding dilapidated boats and risk their lives to reach these countries. We don't see any English, French, Italian, and French citizens landing by boat on Sri Lankan shores illegally, do we? So, the tit-for-tat excuse for prior visas is a baseless argument.
The President has declared 2011 the year of tourism in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, he is late by a whole year. In January 2010, the prestigious New York Times newspaper declared Sri Lanka the top tourist destination for the year. And what did the government do to capitalize on this golden opportunity? Exactly nothing. India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Kenya, South Africa, and various other African, European, and South American countries run regular advertisements on the BBC, CNN, and Al Jazeera, with eye catching slogans and visuals along with wonderful background music to attract visitors to their shores. Sri Lanka does nothing.
The real reason for the visa requirement (which requires the payment of a fee) is that the government is cash strapped so has hit upon the tourist industry for a quick buck without looking at long term consequences.
And who will be handling the visas on line? The Department of Immigration. Going by the long lines that form at immigration counters at the Katunayake airport and the hospital OPD like situation that prevails at their Borella head office, the Immigration Department is not the most competent in Sri Lanka.
Give the tourist industry a break. If you must, impose visa requirements on Indians, Pakistanis and others who overstay their visas to work illegally in Sri Lanka. For the well heeled tourists from affluent countries, take all restrictions off and welcome them with red carpets.
Sarath Palipane,
Hong Kong
‘Visa-for-visa’ decision demonstrates national self-respect
Congratulations to the Sri Lanka Government for making a final decision on visas – with the requirement that the nationals of any country that demands visas from Sri Lankans likewise obtain visas if they wish to visit our country.
Almost every successive government has had to face this issue, but only the present government had the courage to take a decision on reciprocity.
Ever since it was set up, back in the Sixties, the Sri Lanka tourism industry, like a spoilt child, has expected every government to support it whenever it goes through a bad time. When the industry players are satisfied that they have made enough money, they go quiet. But the moment they feel the pinch again, they clamour for “bail-out” packages.
It is the job of any country’s tourism industry to “sell its country” in order to attract visitors. If the movers and shakers of our tourism industry fail to “sell” Sri Lanka, they should not be in the industry in the first place.
With proper marketing, we can attract tourists. Our passive tourism industry keeps falling back on the government and begging for assistance. In other countries, the private sector looks after itself. Tourism industry players who object to the visa rule for overseas visitors are only revealing their lack of national pride.
The late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar vehemently objected to the way Sri Lankans were treated at the visa offices of certain foreign embassies here, and he was in full favour of the reciprocal visa system. Unfortunately, over the years, the sharks in the industry have lobbied with the powers that be and stalled any such moves.
We congratulate the President and the authorities for taking this bold step – and displaying some national self-respect.
R. de Silva,
Dehiwala
Abandoned babies: Proper system need of the hour
I would like to add my comments to the views expressed by “A Concerned Reader” on “Abandoned babies are entitled to a decent life”, which appeared in the Sunday Times on January 2.
We run a small home that takes in baby girls who are unwanted by their unwed mothers, orphaned or totally abandoned toddlers. The girls in our home are sent to good schools and are brought up in a comfortable and homely environment.
At present we have vacancies for one infant and one toddler. But though we are a registered home, not a single baby girl has been referred to us over the past couple of years.
We too keep hearing of horrible accounts of abandoned babies and feel sad that though we are willing to provide a secure home for them, our baby room remains empty.
I fully agree that it is time that a proper system be put into place at hospitals and other relevant institutions, so that these innocent children can be handed over to those who are ready and willing to help them.
A Concerned Caregiver
What are the public health inspectors doing?
There should be a law to prosecute those who discharge their sewage and wastewater into public roads. The bad odour is overpowering, as you pass a row of eating houses to the left of the new flyover bridge at the Nugegoda junction, going towards Colombo. Passersby, including children and senior citizens, hold their noses, the smell is that bad.
Is there anyone authorised to take action against those who cause this health hazard? A few weeks back, there was a hue and cry about people breeding mosquitoes through negligence.
What are the Public Health Inspectors doing?
Noel Dirckze,
Nugegoda
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