Sri Lanka says it’s safe to visit island
Sri Lanka has a lot to offer to visitors even amid the ongoing financial crisis, an official said in the city on Wednesday as he tried to woo visitors back to one of the prime tourist destinations.
A representative of Sri Lankan Airlines said here on Friday said the tourist flow to Sri Lanka was continuing and the government had granted special exemption for tour operators on fuel and other provisions.
“No tourist had been harmed or put to any trouble. The nation generated 12 per cent of its GDP from travel and tourism before the Covid pandemic. It is now looking to revive its tourism which is based on the exploration of nature,” he said.
Around 150 tourists from Telangana used to visit Sri Lanka per week before Covid, the representative said.
He pointed out that even after the financial crisis in Lanka, none of the scheduled flights had been cancelled.
Even now, there are five flights every week to Sri Lanka from Hyderabad.
More than 100 flights were operating per week from India before Covid, of which a majority were connected to Hyderabad among other Indian cities.
The representative said Sri Lanka could be considered the closest overseas destination for visitors from Hyderabad. “It involves a few minutes more travel than the closest (domestic) shoreline, and the air fare is affordable,” he said.
India has the mostpotential client value for Sri Lanka. In the four months before Covid in
2020, 1,30,578 out of
9,07,575 visitors were from India. In 2022, the starting four months showed there were
3,48,314 visitors to Sri Lanka, of which 56,389 were Indians.
V. Ravindran, regional manager of Sri Lankan airline for India and Bangladesh, said, “This airline is the most economical with good connectivity. Students prefer Sri Lankan as it offers extra luggage. When it comes to tourists, in these times too they are safe and are exploring the sights without any hindrance,” he stressed.
Ravindran added, “While there is a dip in the number of travellers from here to Colombo, there is a rise in the number from there to Hyderabad. So, there is no revenue loss to us. Sri Lanka is pleasant and attracts tourists throughout the year.”