Even though the Government appears to be taking newer and effective, although not very public-friendly, decisions to rid the country of the impacts of the economic crisis, many parties have pointed out the importance of improving the existing means of foreign income, and employing newer ones. One such industry that could and should be improved is the country’s tourism industry, which contributes greatly to the national economy.
However, this industry could be more than a mere foreign income generator, and it has the potential to support a country’s socio-economic situation in a multitude of ways. This is one of the things pointed out by the United Nations (UN) in its message for the Global Tourism Resilience Day, which falls today (17). This day aims to emphasise the need to foster resilient tourism development to deal with shocks, taking into account the vulnerability of the tourism industry to emergencies, and is expected to call for action from Member States to develop national strategies for rehabilitation after disruptions, including through private-public cooperation, and the diversification of activities and products.
As a country that is experiencing one of the most challenging eras of its history, Sri Lanka’s attempts at salvaging the economy should be holistic, and it is applicable to the tourism industry as well. It is high time that Sri Lanka understand that the tourism industry’s growth is not a mere matter of generating foreign income or encouraging tourists to spend more money while they are in Sri Lanka, it is also about promoting Sri Lanka as a top tourist destination within the global tourism industry, and sending a message that the country is a safe place despite recent tense situations.
The Global Tourism Resilience Day promotes resilience within the tourism industry, which should be an integral part of Sri Lanka’s economic reform plans that concern the tourism industry. That is because, it is not merely the national economy, but also the public’s everyday lives that need to be improved. In fact, the use of sustainable and resilient tourism as a tool to foster sustained and inclusive economic growth, social development, and financial inclusion, according to the UN, has a number of benefits including the enabling of the formalisation of the informal sector, the promotion of domestic resource mobilisation and environmental protection, and the eradication of poverty and hunger, and the promotion of investment and entrepreneurship in sustainable tourism.
As part of its economic recovery, Sri Lanka should pay attention to these aspects, and identify how it could devise tourism industry related plans in a manner that is beneficial to both the Sri Lankans and tourists. While natural resources and the culture still support the tourism industry, continuing to rely on them is not advisable, because the degree of economic growth that the country requires has increased dramatically. One crucial step in this regard is developing the country’s infrastructure in a manner so that it could compete with other tourism hotspots, which is certain to elevate the tourism industry.
Sri Lanka should not take the tourism industry for granted. Even though the tourism industry still supports the national economy, it should not remain in that state but evolve instead .