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Ranatunga slams Russia critics

31 Aug 2021

  • Says wooing tourists in full swing
  • SriLankan plans more flights during winter
BY Dinitha Rathnayake Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga claimed that certain bankrupt politicians had spread misinformation about his visit to Russia at a time when every sector of earnings in the country has slowed down due to the pandemic. “SriLankan Airlines has launched a special promotional campaign to promote Sri Lanka as an attractive destination in Russia, and Sri Lankans wishing to attend the inaugural visit to Russia also had the opportunity to attend during this tour. These are photos that were shared on social media with false information. Except for me, my personal secretary, and the vice president of the airport and airline, who were officially invited for this trip and were in the photos, everyone else joined the tour at their own expense at the invitation of SriLankan Airlines, which was made through the media.” Ranatunga also said that these allegations are completely baseless and that some are making such accusations to achieve political ends, adding: “I urge the people not to be deceived by such political clichés.” Ranatunga visited Moscow recently to attract more Russians to travel to Sri Lanka for their holiday. According to the Ministry, investment opportunities between Sri Lanka and Russia were expanded during this visit, and accordingly, the Government is ready to provide the necessary support to Russian investors to invest in Sri Lanka. The Government is paying special attention to expand investments in the tourism sector. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, new tourism investment approvals of $ 879.94 million have been submitted in the recent past. The number of projects submitted is 54. New tourism investment proposals worth $ 34 million were made during the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Tourism Minister further said that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has paid special attention to expand new investment opportunities in the country and has expedited the process of granting approvals for foreign investors coming to Sri Lanka for investments. “The Government has taken steps to eliminate delays as well as irregularities in granting new investment approvals. Accordingly, investors who come to Sri Lanka for investments can now set up their factories without any delay after obtaining the proper approvals.” SriLankan Airlines also hopes to increase its travel frequency during the forthcoming winter season. In the first seven months of 2021, there had been 702 Russian tourists, as the country ranked as the ninth largest source market. Last year, there were 49,400 Russian tourists before Sri Lanka closed its borders in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.


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