The ‘Whites Only’ party scheduled to be held at a Russian-run establishment in the Southern part of the island has been cancelled as the event attracted severe backlash for being ‘racist’ and ‘nationalistic’. The event organisers had expressed regret regarding the said policy, the Russian Embassy in Sri Lanka had also issued a statement regarding the same.

It remains unknown as to whether the event organisers truly had racist motives or whether they merely wanted to hold a party only for foreigners. Regardless, the social media discussion regarding the matter portrays the cancellation of the party as a victory against racism. However, the unfortunate reality is that Sri Lankans revel in this ‘victory’ in a context where they have allowed and encouraged discrimination against both Sri Lankans and tourists in tourist areas for decades. Those who noticed this one ‘Whites Only’ event turned a blind eye to many other forms of discrimination against tourists in areas such as the Southern part of the island and Kandy.

Sri Lankans who have travelled to the Southern part of the island, especially to the coastal area, know how locals get discriminated against at many establishments such as hotels, restaurants and pubs and also in private transport such as three-wheelers merely for being Sri Lankans. While some establishments have so-called policies against locals seeking services from these establishments, some establishments discriminate against locals in a more subtle manner such as by delaying the provision of services. There are countless such experiences shared by locals on social media and hotel booking websites. Even though the majority of establishments provide services without discrimination, the ones that discriminate are not a few, and that is a concerning situation.

The justification given by the owners or operators of some such establishments is that locals do not respect establishments’ policies and procedures and are troublemakers. While that could be true to some extent, the fact that such establishments can earn more from foreigners than from locals plays a bigger role here. Regardless, generalising an entire population as troublemakers and banning them from obtaining services in their own country amounts to discrimination, and is a violation of Sri Lankans’ fundamental right to be free from discrimination as guaranteed by the country’s Constitution. Although authorities have issued statements from time to time saying that no establishment should discriminate against locals in such a manner, nothing has happened.

While foreigners may seem to be enjoying special treatment in such establishments and transport services, discrimination faced by foreigners should not be underestimated. Overcharging remains an extremely pressing issue. Aforementioned businesses discriminate against locals because they can overcharge foreigners who are clueless about what reasonable charges/prices are. While the Southern part of the island is infamous for exploiting foreigners, other tourist destinations such as Kandy are not that different. A good example is how certain establishments near the main road did not allow locals to book rooms to watch the Kandy Perahera because they could charge more from tourists.

What is more concerning is that in some cases, overcharging based on nationality is done by public institutions. Many tourist destinations overcharge tourists openly even for using toilet facilities, which should in fact be a basic, free facility in such places.

These issues have remained for decades, and countless people have complained about these. But, public institutions keep overcharging foreigners, while locals get discriminated against in their own country. It goes without saying that these are not practices a country that depends considerably on tourism and is trying to improve foreign income as part of the much-needed economic revival should encourage or tolerate. In fact, these are issues that should receive serious and prompt attention. The message such practices send to the international community is not something that helps Sri Lanka in its quest to be better than other tourist destinations in South Asia.

In order to take actions against those that overcharge and discriminate against people, the Government needs a holistic policy that involves the relevant authorities representing consumers’ rights, foreign affairs, domestic affairs, public safety, tourism and finance. More importantly, a massive attitudinal change is necessary. Treating every person equally should be the norm, not a special treatment. The failure to take tangible, sustainable, and effective measures would result in the country’s tourist destinations losing both local and foreign tourists.