Tourism industry will recommence under protective measures – Prime Minister
The Sri Lankan Government will enable people around the world to visit cultural and heritage sites and see scenic beauty of Sri Lanka once the country’s international airports are opened, said Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
He said that the Sri Lankan Government hopes to commence the tourism industry in the country under tight protective measures.
He made these observations during a seminar held among the Cultural Ministers in the member countries of the UNICEF to discuss of the means to mitigate the effect of the COVID-19 epidemic on the cultural aspects including the tourism industry of the respective countries. The Seminar was held online.
Addressing the seminar Prime Minister Rajapaksa said that the cultural, natural heritage related tourism industry is planned to be supported through the national budget of the country. He also pointed out that the government plans to cooperate with the member countries to formulate a mechanism for the cultural sectors of the respective countries to face such an epidemic like this in future.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the country earned Rs. 4 billion income in 2018 through the tourism industry however it drastically dropped in 2019 with the Easter Sunday extremist attack and this year with the COVID-19 epidemic.
(Source: Daily News)
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European Countries and China have decided to keep borders closed for at least 6 months to Nov 2020 as a measure to control Covid-19.
This means zero influx of tourists from these countries reducing SL’s earnings to nil.
Even after borders are opened after Nov 2020, travel will be limited to countries that are declared safe destinations. Airlines are ti limit seat allocations to every other seat in the economy section. This means cost of an air ticket will be > double of what it cost now.
Any projections of the future of tourism must be based on these facts.
You are right Sampath,
People travelling to ‘unsafe destinations’ in future will be required to be in quarantine for 14 days on return to their country of residence.
As you say, tourism is ‘zero’ for the next 6 months and pick up after that will be marginal.
So will be the garment export trade where demand will dive in European countries