Since the beginning of the protests against the Government and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, they have been blamed by the Government and the authorities for inconveniencing the public and breaking various laws, despite the fact that most protestors have been extremely peaceful and have respected lawful orders issued by the Police and the courts.
The latest chapter of this blame game comes from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Chairperson Kimarli Fernando and Minister of Public Security and Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga, who claimed that the protests have led to a decline in tourist arrivals.
Fernando said that owing to the ongoing protests, tourist arrivals for April have declined to 62,980, the lowest number of monthly arrivals recorded thus far this year, and Ranatunga claimed that protests will not solve but aggravate the prevailing economic crisis, and that tourists come to Sri Lanka only if it is peaceful and secure.
It is true that the country’s overall political, economic, and social affairs are in an extremely unstable state, which is not ideal for a tourism destination to thrive. However, the real question is whether the protests are the real reason for the decline in tourist arrivals. Tourists have raised little concerns about the people protesting. As far as travel advisories go, while the US and UK have highlighted shortages of essential goods, only Australia has pointed out that protests could get violent.
However, none of these countries have advised against travel to the island, but only to exercise caution and be mindful while travelling. On the contrary, tourists have been supportive of protests, and many tourists were seen participating in protests in several areas of the country including at “GotaGoGama”. In addition, some tourists had posted on social media, inviting foreigners visiting Sri Lanka to support the protests, while acknowledging the people’s right to demand a change in order to have a better future.
Despite what has been claimed by the Ministry of Tourism and SLTDA, protests are not the tourists’ main concern. Tourists are unlikely to worry about protests unless protests affect their safety or mobility within Sri Lanka, both of which have not been the case. Their real concerns are fuel shortages that limit long distance travel within Sri Lanka, power cuts that keep them in the dark at unexpected times, and the lack of availability of essential goods, which affect tourists preparing their own meals or their food selection when they eat outside. These issues are essentially a result of the lack of foreign reserves, which the Government failed to prevent despite having months to prevent and despite having received warnings from various experts.
At the same time, blaming protests for decreased tourist arrivals in April is rather a flawed assessment, because, even if protests were a pressing concern for the tourists, protests had not been happening long enough to affect the April tourist figures considerably. The current spate of protests started after the protest in front of the President’s private residence in Mirihana on 31 March and 1 April, and the most notable element of the protests – “Gota-Go-Gama” – started on 9 April.
Fernando and Ranatunga appear to have overlooked the fact that a majority of tourists do not go on spontaneous foreign trips, and that they usually plan their trips weeks or months in advance. There may have been some cancellation of trips to Sri Lanka; however, it is unlikely to have caused a considerable decline in tourist arrivals.
Protests have not caused a threat to tourists’ safety, but the Government has failed to make most basic essentials available for tourists to enjoy their stay in the country, and the people do not need excuses, but answers and actions.
Claiming that the protests that started in early April is the main reason or the only reason for the decline in tourist arrivals in April is a convenient misinterpretation and a deliberate misrepresentation of the situation. The Government and the authorities seem to be trying to kill two birds with one stone by stating that the protests are hurting the tourism industry and thereby the economy, while also having a ready-made excuse for the dip in sharp reduction in tourist arrivals.
The Government and the authorities must, at least now, do away with the habit of looking for excuses to cover up their incompetence and address genuine issues that the country is facing, and understand that ignoring the gravity of national issues will only prolong and exacerbate the consequences of those issues – as well as the suffering of the general public.Sizzling protests and fizzling tourism
05 May 2022
Sizzling protests and fizzling tourism
05 May 2022
Since the beginning of the protests against the Government and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, they have been blamed by the Government and the authorities for inconveniencing the public and breaking various laws, despite the fact that most protestors have been extremely peaceful and have respected lawful orders issued by the Police and the courts.
The latest chapter of this blame game comes from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Chairperson Kimarli Fernando and Minister of Public Security and Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga, who claimed that the protests have led to a decline in tourist arrivals.
Fernando said that owing to the ongoing protests, tourist arrivals for April have declined to 62,980, the lowest number of monthly arrivals recorded thus far this year, and Ranatunga claimed that protests will not solve but aggravate the prevailing economic crisis, and that tourists come to Sri Lanka only if it is peaceful and secure.
It is true that the country’s overall political, economic, and social affairs are in an extremely unstable state, which is not ideal for a tourism destination to thrive. However, the real question is whether the protests are the real reason for the decline in tourist arrivals. Tourists have raised little concerns about the people protesting. As far as travel advisories go, while the US and UK have highlighted shortages of essential goods, only Australia has pointed out that protests could get violent.
However, none of these countries have advised against travel to the island, but only to exercise caution and be mindful while travelling. On the contrary, tourists have been supportive of protests, and many tourists were seen participating in protests in several areas of the country including at “GotaGoGama”. In addition, some tourists had posted on social media, inviting foreigners visiting Sri Lanka to support the protests, while acknowledging the people’s right to demand a change in order to have a better future.
Despite what has been claimed by the Ministry of Tourism and SLTDA, protests are not the tourists’ main concern. Tourists are unlikely to worry about protests unless protests affect their safety or mobility within Sri Lanka, both of which have not been the case. Their real concerns are fuel shortages that limit long distance travel within Sri Lanka, power cuts that keep them in the dark at unexpected times, and the lack of availability of essential goods, which affect tourists preparing their own meals or their food selection when they eat outside. These issues are essentially a result of the lack of foreign reserves, which the Government failed to prevent despite having months to prevent and despite having received warnings from various experts.
At the same time, blaming protests for decreased tourist arrivals in April is rather a flawed assessment, because, even if protests were a pressing concern for the tourists, protests had not been happening long enough to affect the April tourist figures considerably. The current spate of protests started after the protest in front of the President’s private residence in Mirihana on 31 March and 1 April, and the most notable element of the protests – “Gota-Go-Gama” – started on 9 April.
Fernando and Ranatunga appear to have overlooked the fact that a majority of tourists do not go on spontaneous foreign trips, and that they usually plan their trips weeks or months in advance. There may have been some cancellation of trips to Sri Lanka; however, it is unlikely to have caused a considerable decline in tourist arrivals.
Protests have not caused a threat to tourists’ safety, but the Government has failed to make most basic essentials available for tourists to enjoy their stay in the country, and the people do not need excuses, but answers and actions.
Claiming that the protests that started in early April is the main reason or the only reason for the decline in tourist arrivals in April is a convenient misinterpretation and a deliberate misrepresentation of the situation. The Government and the authorities seem to be trying to kill two birds with one stone by stating that the protests are hurting the tourism industry and thereby the economy, while also having a ready-made excuse for the dip in sharp reduction in tourist arrivals.
The Government and the authorities must, at least now, do away with the habit of looking for excuses to cover up their incompetence and address genuine issues that the country is facing, and understand that ignoring the gravity of national issues will only prolong and exacerbate the consequences of those issues – as well as the suffering of the general public.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!