Tourism authorities call for national contingency plan

• Tourism Minister assures “no tourists or hotels” were affected
• Four national tourism institutes to contribute Rs. 2 m worth of immediate flood relief to Kalutara District
• THASL Chairman affirms no major cancellations in short-term hotel bookings
• SLAITO VP confirms 99% tour itineraries remain intact 
• Tourism authorities issue press release to foreign media and embassies to tackle adverse international publicity 

 By Charumini de Silva

While stating that the recent calamity was a “good lesson” for all stakeholders in the economy, the Tourism Development Ministry stressed the urgency of having a national contingency plan in place to safeguard people in the country.

Tourism Development Ministry Secretary Janaka Sugathadasa told Daily FT that it was an opportune time for Sri Lanka to have a contingency plan ready in case of a natural or manmade disaster to protect and evacuate people.

“As tourism planners we need to look into how to respond in emergency situations in a more professional manner because we plan to make the tourism sector the number one foreign exchange earner with four million tourist arrivals. An emergency plan is lacking in the industry and the country as a whole,” he pointed out.

He said that the disaster was a blessing in disguise for the tourism sector which escaped with little to no harm, and that it has to get ready for worse disasters in the future during peak seasons. 

“This calamity happened in the off season; therefore it was a blessing in disguise. However, this situation was food for thought. What if this happened during the high season? The Government and the private sector need to be equipped for emergencies,” Sugathadasa asserted.

In the meantime, addressing a recent media briefing, Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga assured that “no tourists or hotels” were affected by the torrential downpours which led to flooding and landslides in 15 of the island’s districts.  

“We made inquiries from all tourist points. There are no hotels which were affected by the flooding and there are no reports of any tourists drowning,” he added. The Minister also confirmed that no damage was reported to informal and supplementary sector accommodation units.

Amaratunga said the four national tourism institutes will contribute Rs. 2 million from their budget to provide immediate flood relief to the Kalutara District, which was allocated by the Prime Minister’s Office to his ministry during this crisis. 

The Hotel’s Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) Chairman Sanath Ukwatte said there were no major cancellations in terms of short-term hotel bookings but just a lot of inquiries due to international reports that the “entire country is affected”. 

“May, June are traditionally the lowest months so we are fortunate in that sense. Sri Lankans are very resilient people and I am sure we can overcome this situation soon,” he added. 

Ukwatte also asserted that as hoteliers they were deeply conscious of their responsibilities and had taken steps to call for assistance in kind from their fellow members. 

Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) Vice President Harith Perera stressed that 99% of their tour itineraries remained intact as none of the major tourism sites or hotels was affected by the floods.

He said that the only complaint received by tourists so far was that there was more rain than sun. 

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau (SLTPB) Chairman Paddy Withana said a press release was issued to foreign media and embassies to tackle damaging international publicity. 

Pix by Lasantha Kumara