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SL missed a ship carrying 2,000 tourists

07 Nov 2022

BY Kiara Warnasuriya All-Ceylon Tourism Service Providers’ Association (ACTSPA), addressing a media briefing yesterday (6), claimed that the tourism industry faced a major loss last month when the ship, Queen Elizabeth, carrying 2,000 passengers scheduled to arrive on 25 October, was unable to do so because the relevant transactions could not be made in dollars. ACTSPA Member Sanjay Mahawatta stated that no action had been taken regarding the ship in October by the Tourism Ministry. He added that a vessel called the Viking Mars Cruise Ship is due to arrive in Sri Lanka on 18 November carrying 930 passengers, and said that the Tourism Ministry should ensure that this opportunity is capitalised on.  The Viking Mars Cruise Ship is run by Ocean Cruises, a cruise company based in Switzerland, and was built this year. “If tourism is to develop, tourists need to come to Sri Lanka; if they are to come to Sri Lanka, then there needs to be a suitable system to host them,” said Mahawatta.  He added that the Sri Lankan Government needs to support and provide basic facilities to the tourism industry claiming that the development of the same will make an immense contribution to the existing economic crisis. National Tourist Guides Lecturers’ Association Deputy Treasurer Anura Fernando, addressing the media briefing, pointed out that the tourism industry is currently not receiving due support from fuelling stations, as many stations require the tourist guides to physically bring the tourist passengers to the station as proof to obtain fuel. “When we need petrol, they tell us they cannot supply petrol without seeing the tourist, but the tourists do not want to waste their time getting fuel and when we inform them of this, their reaction is negative.” ACTSPA Secretary Suranjith Wewita, addressing the same briefing, claimed that foreign exchange can be earned through the tourism industry alone instead of obtaining loans, provided that the Government supplies the industry with the basic facilities required. “Many vehicles were sold during the past three years because we could not afford to pay the vehicles’ leases, and now we have a shortage of vehicles. No one has taken any action regarding this,” stated Wewita.


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