EDITORIAL
THE WORLD LOOKED on in shock last Easter Sunday as the news spread about the horrific bombings in a number of Sri Lankan churches and hotels. For those of us who have travelled to Sri Lanka the news hit especially hard. The news hit even harder considering that two of the hotels attacked were part of the Ironman event.
I had planned on writing a feature in this issue suggesting that as many athletes as possible try and get to Sri Lanka next year to help the country recover “destination Sri Lanka.”
The only problem with that idea? Ironman cancelled the race. It turns out that the event was already struggling before the bombings.
“I have always said we are a tourism company in this region just as much as we are event managers,” Geoff Meyer, Ironman’s managing director, Asia, wrote in an email when I asked about the event and its ties to tourism in the region. “We need government support due to the high costs and infrastructure we need. They want the economic and media impact that the Ironman events bring, so it’s a great synergy. We must produce ROI for the region we are in or we won’t last – luckily we have a good track record and the reason we have longevity in the areas we are.”
“Re. Sri Lanka,” he continued, “before the bombing, which was tragic, the onset of new elections were causing unrest on many levels. Funding couldn’t be secured and, as neither side could commit to future funding, the bombing was just the nail in the coffin for now.”
When I reached out to a couple of the journalists who had been on the last press trip with me for their thoughts, Gaël Couturier, who is from France, but lives in Venice, had some pointed thoughts:
“My take on it is that it’s a shame Sri Lanka can’t fix this faster … and realize how important Ironman can be in the reconstruction of the public image of the country. When we had the attacks in Nice, on the Promenade des Anglais in July 2017, the Ironman didn’t stop. It happened a year later. Similarly, I ran the
New York City Marathon only months after 9/11, and I was blown away by the force and the hope and the joy of everyone involved. Not having the race run in 2020 is a wrong signal to send to terrorists, and I’m not sure Sri Lanka understands how important hosting an Ironman event can be, and how much of a good image it would send to the world.”
Couturier has no qualms about telling people to head to Sri Lanka, either.
“Why should I?” he asked. “Terrorism can strike anywhere, Paris, London, NYC, Sri Lanka – anywhere, anytime. We can’t stop living because of a few deranged people. Sri Lanka’s strength is its people. They were tired of their 30 years of civil war, and now they are devastated because of those attacks, but I have faith in them to rebuild their unity and their sense of love and welcoming. I will go back there anytime.”
It would appear that Couturier is right – Sri Lanka Tourism is working hard to get the message out that it is safe to travel to the country. “It’s just over a month since that dark Easter Sunday,” said Minister of Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs, John Amaratunga at the end of May. “The progress that has been achieved in the recovery process has been remarkable. Our security forces have been able to completely neutralize the terrorist threat. The healing process has also achieved much ground and things are fast returning to normal. I can assure tourists that we have taken all precautions to ensure their safety in all parts of the country. Hotels and airlines have come out with never to be repeated offers, so now is the time to visit the country. I must state that none of our tourist sites were affected and remain ready to welcome visitors.”
So, while my story encouraging you to head to Sri Lanka for a race might have also had to be cancelled, telling you to consider a trip to Sri Lanka might not. Right now, Canada still has an “avoid unnecessary travel” warning for Sri Lanka in effect, which makes it impossible for me to wholeheartedly encourage anyone to get on a plane and travel to the beautiful island. Hopefully that status will change soon, and we can all do what we can to help the country rebound from these terrible acts of terrorism.