Claiming that the Opposition was misleading the public about the initiative to attract Ukrainian visitors to Sri Lanka to help boost the tottering tourism industry, State Minister for Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure, Nimal Lanza, said the pilot project was launched as a test run to overcome existing shortcomings before reopening the airport and streamlining operations for commercial flights.

Insisting that the Ukrainian tourists follow existing health safety guidelines, he said there is a considerable number of foreigners eager to visit Sri Lanka.

“They are waiting to come to our country”, the State Minister told a news conference in Colombo last week.

In addition to the foreign tourist traffic, there are about 70,000 expatriate Sri Lankans expected to return to their motherland after the logistics have been worked out and the airport is back in operation, Lanza noted.

Tourists brought down to Sri Lanka under the pilot project visit Yala, Pinnawala or other designated destinations in air bubbles as a safety precaution. They don’t come into direct contact with public. Two PCRs are conducted to ensure they are not Covid infected. Therefore, the people of the country need not fear or entertain any doubts about the visitors, the State Minister further said.

Sadly, people like Dr. Harsha de Silva, who are knowledgeable in economic affairs, are criticizing the move to give a new impetus to the tourism industry. He has proposed to quarantine tourists for 14 days. This suggestion is misplaced as after placing tourists in an air bubble, conducting two PCRs and adhering to health safety measures, confining them to a hotel room for 14 days will a disincentive, he noted.

Under such circumstances, not a single tourist will come here as they generally visit Sri Lanka for a maximum of 10-15 days. They will not want to be held up in a hotel room for 14 days. It should be appreciated that they have opted to visit our country in a global pandemic situation, he remarked.

The collapse of the world economy due to Covid-19 has impacted negatively on Sri Lanka as well, where three million people in the tourism industry alone have been denied a source of income for the past nine months, State Minister Lansa said.

Apart from the Rs. 5,000 relief granted by the government, they have no money to pay the lease installments on their vehicles or repay loans as they are struggling struggling to make a living. Therefore, the government took a decision to revive the tourism industry through the implementation of a pilot project, he said.

People dependent on the tourism industry will be able to earn an income only if the industry is revived while ensuring that all necessary preventive measures are adopted. The Opposition is trying to fish in troubled waters and ride to power on the economic woes of the people, Lanza added.