Tourism promoted in SL amidst COVID-19

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United States Ravinatha Aryasinha has observed that the credibility Sri Lanka Tourism earned in caring for the tourists who made lengthy extensions of their stay in the country at the time COVID-19 broke out, and SriLankan Airlines being one of the few carriers that continued to fly when most commercial airline fleets were grounded, should give confidence for international travellers to visit the island once again, now that travel for tourists has resumed, Sri Lankan Embassy in the US said in a media release.

Ambassador Aryasinha noted that prior to COVID-19 curtailed global travel, tourist arrivals from the US had grown by 260 percent from 2010 to 2019, an annual average growth well over 20 percent, making the US one of the fastest-growing tourist arrival countries.

The Ambassador made these comments on Wednesday (27), when he hosted a virtual ‘Hello Again; Sri Lanka tourism awareness session’ to announce the re-opening of Sri Lanka for international tourists from January 21, and share details of the strategy adopted to ensure tourists enjoy their stay, while being protected from COVID-19. The event was organized by the Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington D.C., with the assistance from the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and the Sri Lankan Airlines GSA office in the U.S., and attracted more than 60 tour and travel partners and media personnel.

Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Tourism Kimarli Fernando said, “Sri Lanka is safe and exciting even during the pandemic.” She noted that Sri Lanka does not require a minimum number of days to stay in the country within the ‘Bio Bubbles’ introduced by the SLTPB. While staying in a Secure Level 1 hotel recognized by the Sri Lanka Tourism, or multiple hotels if needed within the ‘Bio Bubble’, they could use all the facilities of the hotels including SPA, the pool and the restaurants and visit tourist sites within the bubble. These level 1 hotels which have been certified by KPMG, as well as Ernst and Young, provide accommodation exclusively for international tourists. After an initial 14-day stay within the ‘Bio Bubble’, travellers will be able to exit from it at any time subject to having a negative PCR test, and be able to interact with the local community. The tourists are required to undergo several PCR tests during their stay, and medical insurance with a premium of 12 Dollars covered all the expenses related to transportation and ICU facility in the event of any difficulty. Chairman, Airport, and Aviation Major General (Rtd) G.A. Chandrasiri welcomed passengers to the two Sri Lankan airports – Colombo and Mattala, and emphasized that maximum precautionary measures have been taken to ensure the protection of the passengers’ safety.

Director, Marketing of Sri Lanka Tourism Dushan Wickramasuriya, highlighted the potential of the US market to attract tourists to different sectors in Sri Lanka – soft adventure, cruise travel, wellness tourism, wildlife, and to promote luxury villas. He said travel partners can also sell tailor-made itineraries encouraging tourists to travel to Sri Lanka to spend few days, when planning to visit countries such as Thailand, the Maldives, India and others in East Asia and South Asia.

Source: http://www.dailynews.lk/2021/01/30/local/240191/tourism-promoted-sl-amidst-covid-19