Modi’s visit is proof that Sri Lanka is safe: John
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka is proof that the country is safe for foreigners to visit, Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said.
“Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit here shows that Sri Lanka is now a safe destination to visit. He visited churches in Sri Lanka. His visit went off without a hitch, so could be a better proof of how safe the country is than that?,” Amaratunga had told ANI. Modi made a stopover visit to Sri Lanka earlier this month on his way back to India from the Maldives. Amaratunga’s statement came just over two months after the deadly Easter Sunday attacks which targeted eight locations, including three churches, killing more than 250 people. Talking about the impact of the terror attack which took place on April 21, he said, “sri Lanka is the same as it was before the blast. However, our intelligence was able to apprehend those who supported ISIS, who destroyed churches and hotels in Sri Lanka within a short period of 10 days, the minister said.” Downplaying the impact of the ongoing state of emergency in Sri Lanka, the minister said the reason the other countries have decided to remove the travel advisories for their citizens to Sri Lanka is because of the state of emergency.
“The state of emergency has no impact on tourism. We needed to investigate the people behind the attacks. In 2-3 days the state of emergency will be removed. The situation in the city is normal as it was before April 21,” he added.
The minister also discussed tourism incentives for Indians by releasing a package including air tickets and hotel rooms at a heavily discounted rates of almost 50-60 per cent. Amaratunga gave an assurance that Sri Lanka was now safe for tourists. He stated that 4,500 Indians in 2018 amounted to 19 to 20 per cent of the arrivals to the country and said India is number 1 in terms of tourist arrivals. Expressing optimism, he said, “i see tourism bouncing back. Indians, Chinese and Europeans are now arriving in our country.”