• To be implemented from Kandy Esala perahera season

The security forces, particularly the Police and the Special Task Force (STF), have already taken several measures to ensure the safety of tourists, while more comprehensive arrangements concerning the same would be in effect by the time of the Kandy Perahera season, said State Minister of Defence, Premitha Bandara Tennakoon.

The President's Chief of Staff and National Security Advisor Sagala Ratnayaka had recently given instructions to the security forces to ensure the safety of tourists, and to prepare the necessary environment for them to travel freely.

Responding to The Daily Morning inquiry, Tennakoon said that there had been a few incidents of tourists having had to face various unpleasant incidents in the recent past. As a country that significantly depends on tourism, he said that there should be stern action being taken against those who cause inconveniences to tourists through various forms of acts. "Even if the numbers are less there should be no room for such incidents to take place. We have informed the Police to take stern action when something happens against tourists. We have identified the areas to which more focus should be given, and have increased the patrols and the number of Police and STF officers deployed to such areas. We should not forget that Sri Lanka is one of the safest countries for tourists to travel, so we need to maintain that status," he said.

Speaking further, he said that the Government would implement a more comprehensive security plan aimed at tourists by the Kandy Perahera season. "There will be more tourists coming in during the Perahera season. So, we will ensure that there will be a comprehensive security plan by then. In addition, the relevant authorities are also educating certain parties related to the tourism industry such as three-wheeler drivers on how to deal with tourists," added Tennakoon.

With the prevailing economic crisis caused by the shortage of United States Dollars (US $) in the country, the Government has focused on implementing various programmes in order to increase the $ income. Accordingly, attention has been paid to promote the tourism industry as it is one of the main sources of foreign exchange earnings, as it has seen some decline in the recent past due to various reasons such as the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the economic crisis situation.