By Nasriya Naffin

Sri Lanka is well known as the paradise island throughout the world. The country has been one of the popular travel destinations among tourists for its climate, scenic environment, historical sites and for the diverse cultural heritage it is blessed with. The island nation has been heavily depended on the tourism industry for centuries. The sector has contributed towards FOREX earnings and steady supply of revenue to the government and has generated an enormous amount of employment opportunities to Sri Lankans.

The total employment opportunities provided by the tourism industry was approximately 403,000 in 2019.  The industry accounts for almost 12% of the country’s GDP and is the third largest source of foreign exchange reserves.  

The sector has had challenging times in the past by the civil war that lasted for nearly 30 years, Tsunami in 2004, the recent Easter bomb attack, the worst has been the covid-19 pandemic which halted tourists from China and European countries, the Ukraine–Russia conflict and the ongoing country's economic crisis has made it extremely hard for the sector to catch up.

During and after the pandemic Russia and Ukraine have been the largest market for the tourism industry. Around 20,000 tourists from Russia and Ukraine have travelled to Sri Lanka in January 2022. In the past local travelers helped the industry to survive as foreign visitors were absent. With the ongoing financial crisis, and the fuel shortage the locals have cut down on their spending and have reduced travelling long distances. A steady flow of tourists are necessary to recover the country from the disaster hit economy.

The ongoing political unrest, public protests and violence related to protests, long queues for essentials like fuel, LP gas and milk powder and the scarcity of commodities like essential medicine has negatively affected the tourism industry. Negative feedback and information that has been publicized on foreign media has severely affected the country's tourism sector. Many tourists contemplate whether to visit Sri Lanka while others cancel their bookings.  

According to the prime minister Ranil Wickramasinghe the country is expecting 800, 000 tourists in the latter part of this year. Sri Lanka has started developing a plan to attract more Indian tourists during the forth-coming months, and is intending to resume flights from northern Jaffna peninsula to India from next month. The Prime Minister has discussed with relevant stakeholders with regard to the possibilities of organizing cultural festivals which can attract many tourists. Minister of tourism Harin Fernando has requested the diplomatic community to lift travel bans imposed to travel to Sri Lanka as the country is promoting tourism in many countries to attract tourists.  

Leader of opposition Sajith Premadasa has requested the European Union to aid the country’s tourism industry by lifting adverse travel advisories imposed on Sri Lanka. He held discussions with the Russian ambassador and requested his help in encouraging Russian tourists to visit Sri Lanka.  

Depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee is a benefit the tourists can enjoy now. Most importantly the country is now safe to travel. The pandemic is under control and has no other threats but shortages of some supplies still exists. This is a time Sri Lanka needs support from the tourists to help recover the country from the economic crisis. With limited resources the people have become more united and helpful.

People are living their normal life and getting adjusted to the situation. Many have started riding bikes, converting to solar power, and have found alternatives for cooking than using LP gas. Many new pizzerias are popping up in cities using traditional wooden ovens. Barbeque is another trend using charcoal. Many hotels have started candlelit dinners and bonfires to attract guests.  

The tourism industry has a direct and indirect impact on many other sectors like transport, restaurants, local industries, travel agencies, agriculture and fisheries. Decline in the industry has led to many business closures and job losses. Cultural centers have lost business but the professionals in the industry have not given up.

All that the country needs now is help to keep things moving forward. With adequate help not only, it will bounce back but will also contribute to the economy of the country.

The recent visit by the Australian cricket team has added some confidence to the world tourists who are planning to visit the country. Sri Lanka has been hit by the worst economic crisis since its independence and tourism is one of the major sectors that can help the country to recover from this situation.

Visiting the country at a time it needs support to recover from its economic crisis and eliminate the sufferings of its people who stand in long queues for days for their essentials. Travelers around the world have a great opportunity to help this little paradise by paying a visit to Sri Lanka on their next holiday.