Post-pandemic, Sri Lanka has become a tourism hotspot, with every media outlet from CNN to Conde Nast Traveller singing the island’s praises. This is a remarkable recovery, given that three major crises – Easter Sunday attacks, the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic meltdown – dragged tourism in Sri Lanka almost to zero.
But Sri Lanka is too good a destination to be hidden from the rest of the world. Word has got around that Sri Lanka is more stable and peaceful than ever and more than 1.5 million tourists have already seen the beauty of Sri Lanka so far this year. With two months to go, this could rise to two million or more. Sri Lanka is on track to achieve the target of four million tourist arrivals per year within the next few years. The industry has the potential to beat expatriate remittances in terms of foreign exchange earnings.
Tourists visiting any country look for three key indicators to spend a carefree holiday – political and economic stability, safety and security. The first one is self-explanatory. The second and third ones, though seemingly identical, are slightly different. Safety encompasses health, food and personal safety while security is about measures that are proactively taken by the State and tourism authorities to give peace of mind to tourists. As we have experienced first-hand, tourists will keep away from countries that cannot guarantee these important factors. Governments also issue advisories and warnings against travel to such destinations.
Just five years after the Easter Sunday carnage, Sri Lanka finds itself in the rather unfortunate situation of having to bolster visible, physical security in the wake of credible threats of a terrorist attack in the surfing paradise of Arugam Bay on the East Coast.
The Government, on its part, has taken this advanced warning issued by local and foreign intelligence agencies very seriously and taken all appropriate measures to protect tourists and locals not only in Arugam Bay but also in other tourist hotspots such as Ella, Unawatuna and national parks. In fact, the Easter Sunday attacks happened because the then authorities did not pay heed to the intelligence warnings.
At the same time, the Government should probe whether certain elements with sinister motives are behind this development, given the tendency of some political forces to whip up communal tensions especially at election time. They could sabotage the National People Power (NPP) Government’s program of work and disrupt the tourism industry in one go, to achieve narrow political gains.
Regardless of its origin, all threats against the country’s emerging tourism industry must be given serious consideration. The East Coast, especially Arugam Bay, Pasikudah and Kalkudah and Trincomalee have experienced an unprecedented influx of tourists in the years following the end of the war. This is a major boost for the economy of this region, battered by the war for 30 years. In fact, many intrepid travellers are also choosing to travel to the North which has been off the tourism radar even after the war. The Government should strive to develop the tourism industries in both these provinces which seek economic rejuvenation.
It goes without saying that both foreign and domestic travellers have to be protected at all times. Without necessarily going back to the intrusive roadblocks that existed during the war years, the authorities should develop a comprehensive security strategy covering all tourist regions and attractions. After all, tourists from peaceful countries do not want to see hundreds of gun-toting soldiers and police personnel everywhere they go.
It is best to think of other avenues such as CCTV, HUMINT (Human Intelligence from plainclothes personnel) and drone surveillance. It will, however, be essential to keep armed police and soldiers on duty at least until the present threat is neutralised.
We hardly see any Tourist Police personnel at present, unlike in the days before the war when they were practically seen everywhere among tourists. The presence of (discreetly armed) Tourist Police gives foreign travellers the peace of mind they deserve in a strange land. It is time that the new Acting IGP restored this unit. The police personnel inducted to this vital unit must be given a crash course in English, apart from equipping them to deal with any emergency that may arise.
The younger recruits must also be encouraged to learn a foreign language other than English such as French, Chinese and Japanese. They must wear a vest or badge that clearly identifies them as Tourist Police, distinct from the normal police.
While most tourists who come to Sri Lanka enjoy their holidays and then go back to their home countries, there are some tourists from far and near who overstay their visas. This issue has come to the fore with the Arugam Bay development. It has been reported that some tourists own and operate various guesthouses and other businesses on both the Southern and Eastern coasts without having any residential status in Sri Lanka. Worse, they apparently do not even allow locals to enter their establishments.
The authorities must probe these allegations and take appropriate action, perhaps in consultation with the relevant embassies. All travellers with expired visas must be deported. But we must also realise that there are many “digital nomads” who would like to work from Sri Lanka. A separate long-term visa category must be established for digital nomads, investors and others who might have legitimate reasons to take up residence here. This is a worldwide trend and we should not build unnecessary walls. Ours is an interconnected world and we should make the best of it.
