Business

Covid-hit hotel industry seeks urgent support from government

Published

6 years ago

2020/12/28

Sahan Weerasooriya

THASL Chief says support needed to prevent widespread devastation

Hotel industry alone employs approximately 250,000 staff

Seeks loan interest waiver for Rs. 350 bn debt till business rebounds to pre-pandemic level

Says banks are very understanding but they are reluctant to take a haircut

‘If govt reduces bank taxes by 2-3%, banks would be happy to accommodate our request’

‘There’s a lot of international donor funding available for hospitality industry’

‘None of the hotels have defaulted on any loans before’

‘Industry looks forward to 2021 with determination’

BY HARISCHANDRA GUNARATNA

As the hotel industry is forced to live with zero revenues with international travel becoming a long forgotten phenomenon in this Covid world, The Island Financial Review recently spoke with Sanath Ukwatte, President of The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) to find out how the whole thing is weighing on his mind.

Following are excerpts from the interview we had with him.

“THASL is recognised for the incredible work it has done to support tourism in Sri Lanka. No other association or industry body of any industry has done so much under so much pressure. The fact that THASL has managed to obtain almost everything we have asked from the government to support the industry is remarkable. No other industry body has managed that”.

“At the moment the entire tourism industry has collectively taken loans amounting to Rs. 350 billion. 80% is from hotels big and small. It’s not as big compared to the assets. Total hotel assets are worth around $10b at present valuations. This fact was mentioned by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa during the Budget speech recently. None of the hotels have defaulted on any loans before. Moratorium is only a temporary solution as interest is accumulating during the moratorium period”.

“Since Easter attacks hotel debt is on moratorium. Pandemic came from no where. And again we are on moratorium. That’s why we are requesting the government for an interest waiver for 2 years or until international travel is restored and industry gets back to normal”.

“Banks are very understanding but they are reluctant to take a haircut. If the government reduces their taxes by 2-3% they would be happy to accommodate our request or else the government will have find another mechanism. There’s a lot of international donor funding available for hospitality industry as this is a global problem. 1 in 10 workers is employed by the travel industry, whether it be hotels, airlines, cruise lines, travel agents, theme parks, restaurants, retail etc”.

“As the worst affected industry due to COVID-19, governments world over have announced targeted relief for the hotel sector. Naturally THASL seeks government assistance to grant short-term and medium-term relief for the industry until the business bounces back”.

“We must also remember that our sector was completely crippled by the Easter Sunday attacks and as we were just about recovering from January this year onwards, industry came to a grinding halt in March as a result of this pandemic. Both these unfortunate events were out of our control. Now we are in a serious situation. Our priority is to maintain the livelihoods of 500,000 direct and indirect employees. Hotel industry alone employs approximately 250,000 staff who have undergone years of training. It’s a pity to lose staff who are committed and have made a career in the industry. In total there are 2 million dependents on tourism industry both indirectly and directly.

“In 2018, in addition to the salary, average service charge of a hotel employee was Rs: 25,000 per month. Now all that is lost. Hotels are struggling to pay monthly salaries to their permanent employees as company reserves has now depleted. Already nearly 20,000 have lost jobs. They were mainly trainees or who have worked for less than one year. Even the restrictions between inter provincial travel and 50 people limit for weddings and events have badly impacted on local business”.

“New Year’s Eve which is an important day for all hotels in the country in terms of revenue is all subdued now due to government’s call to restrict gatherings. The businesses are in danger. Cash flow has become a serious issue for hotels and jobs are at risk. That’s why we seek government support to restructure hotel debt with a two year interest waiver and a long term settlement plan for capital repayment”.

“Currently total hotel debt stands around Rs 350 billion. We have also requested the government to grant us the wage support scheme for the most vulnerable employees for which the Cabinet has already given the go-ahead. As a result of the 2nd wave of the virus UNWTO has revised the prospect for the international tourist travel for 2021 to a negative growth. Although we welcome the government’s decision to re-open the airport for tourists from January – a step in the right direction – it will take a minimum two years for the industry to rebound. Small and medium sized enterprises consist about 70% of the tourism industry. That’s why we call for financial and political support to enable critical recovery measures as speedily as possible.”

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Business

SLEIS 2026 to examine how Sri Lanka can strengthen its place in Asia’s growth networks

Published

20 hours ago

2026/09/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

Ambassador Akio ISOMATA / Chathuranga Abeysinghe / P.D. Singh

As Asia continues to account for a growing share of global economic activity, Sri Lanka faces an important opportunity to strengthen its links with regional trade networks, supply chains and economic corridors. How the country can make better use of these connections to attract investment, expand trade and strengthen its position in regional value chains will be among the key questions at the Sri Lanka Economic & Investment Summit 2026, organised by The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on 12-13 October 2026.

Titled “Linking Sri Lanka to Asia’s Growth Networks: Trade, Corridors, and Value Chains,” the session will examine the opportunities for Sri Lanka to deepen its integration with the wider Asian economy and build stronger connections with regional and global markets.

The session keynote will be delivered by P.D Singh – Chief Executive Officer, India and South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank. He will be joined for a panel discussion by Chathuranga Abeysinghe – Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Akio ISOMATA – Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka, MASAAKI Kawabata – Chairman – Toyota Lanka (Private) Limited, and Ravi Jayawardena – Group Chief Executive Officer-Maliban Biscuits (Private) Limited. The session will be moderated by Ms. Subhashini Abeysinghe – Research Director- Verité Research.

For Sri Lanka, stronger regional integration can open opportunities beyond traditional export markets. Greater participation in regional supply chains, improved trade connectivity and closer links to economic corridors can support investment in areas such as logistics, manufacturing, export services and other sectors connected to international production networks.

The discussion will consider what Sri Lanka needs to do to strengthen its position within these networks, including improving trade connectivity, attracting investment and creating a business environment that enables companies to participate more effectively in regional and global value chains.

It will also look at the experience of businesses and international institutions operating across the region, providing perspectives on how companies assess markets, build supply chains and identify locations for investment. With supply chains and investment flows increasingly shaped by regional connectivity, the session will also consider the partnerships and strategies needed to position Sri Lanka as a more competitive participant in Asia’s growth networks, while creating opportunities for trade, investment, innovation and economic growth.

The session will form part of the second day of SLEIS 2026, held under the theme “Positioning Sri Lanka in a Changing Global Economy: Resilience, Reform, and the Future of Economic Policy.”

The Sri Lanka Economic & Investment Summit 2026 is supported by its valued sponsors and partners. Platinum Sponsor – Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka, Gold Sponsor – VISA Worldwide (Pvt) Ltd., Bronze Sponsor – South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt) Ltd., Strategic Development Partner – Asian Development Bank, Telecommunication Partner – Dialog Telecommunication, Television Partner – Dialog Television, Session Sponsors – David Pieris Motor Company (Pvt) Ltd., Hemas Holdings PLC, Sunshine Holdings PLC, International Construction Consortium (Pvt) Ltd., Official Logistics Partner – Hayleys Advantis Limited, Official Airline – SriLankan Airlines Ltd., Official Hospitality Partner – Shangri-La Colombo, Airline Partner – China Eastern Air Holding Co. Ltd.

Registrations are now open at https://sleis.chamber.lk/. For more information, contact Alikie on 011 558 8805 (alikie@chamber.lk) or Shanuka on 0701082541 (events.division@chamber.lk).

Business

AAC launches seat belt safety awareness initiative with RDA Colombo

Published

20 hours ago

2026/09/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

The Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC), in collaboration with the Road Development Authority (RDA) and Police – Traffic Division, will conduct a special Road Safety Awareness Programme to promote the importance of wearing seat belts in vehicles specially on the express highways in order to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries.

The official handing-over ceremony took place at the Chairman’s Office of the Road Development Authority on 14th September 2026, where specially designed Seat Belt Safety Hanging Tags & Stickers prepared by the Automobile Association of Ceylon were handed over to the RDA for distribution to motorists at entry points to the expressways.

The initiative is being conducted in connection with the seat belt law coming into effect on 19th September 2026 and is intended to create greater public awareness of the importance of wearing seat belts in both the front and rear seats of vehicles.

Representing the Automobile Association of Ceylon at the ceremony Dhammika Attygalle, President; Prasanna De Zoysa, Sectional Chairman – Road Safety; and Devapriya Hettiarachchi, Secretary, Senior Superintendent of Police -Traffic Sisira Peththrathanthri, participated in the programme.

The Automobile Association of Ceylon has consistently maintained that road safety is one of its foremost priorities. Through awareness campaigns, educational programmes and collaboration with government authorities and other stakeholders, the Association continues to encourage responsible driving and safer behaviour among all road users.

AAC believes that the proper use of seat belts, including by rear-seat passengers, is a simple but vital safety measure that can help reduce serious injuries and save lives in the event of a road crash.

The programme further strengthens the cooperation between the Automobile Association of Ceylon, the Road Development Authority and the Police in their shared commitment towards safer roads and saving lives in Sri Lanka.

Business

Sanath Jayasuriya as Brand Ambassador

Published

20 hours ago

2026/09/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

Mr. Dasun Wickramarathna, Chairman Global Housing & Real Estate (Pvt) Ltd with Sanath Jayasuriya, World Renown Personality & Brand Ambassador

Global Housing & Real Estate (Pvt) Ltd (GHR) has announced a landmark partnership with Sri Lankan cricket legend Sanath Jayasuriya, as its Brand Ambassador as GHR enters a new chapter in its journey within Sri Lanka’s luxury real estate sector.

The partnership was officially unveiled at a press conference held at Cinnamon Life, Colombo, on 14 September 2026, bringing together industry leaders, investors and members of the media under the theme “Two Gamechangers, A New Beginning.”

The collaboration brings together two names associated with challenging convention in their respective fields: Sanath Jayasuriya, whose fearless approach transformed the dynamics of international cricket, and GHR, which has sought to introduce new approaches to property investment and luxury living in Sri Lanka.

Over the past two decades, GHR has built its presence in Sri Lanka’s real estate sector with a focus on quality, structural integrity and long-term investment value.

A significant milestone in the company’s journey came in 2016, when GHR introduced the hotel residency concept to the Sri Lankan market. The model brought together luxury hospitality and real estate investment, creating opportunities for property ownership with the potential to generate investment returns while contributing to the growth of the country’s high-end tourism offering. GHR has since continued to expand its portfolio across key destinations in Sri Lanka.

Speaking at the announcement, Dasun Wickramarathna, Chairman of Global Housing & Real Estate (Pvt) Ltd, said, “For over twenty years, Global Housing & Real Estate has strived to push the boundaries of what property development can achieve in Sri Lanka. As pioneers who introduced the hotel residency concept back in 2016, our mission has always been clear: to provide high-yield investment opportunities for our clients while taking Sri Lanka’s condominium industry into a new frontier.”

Commenting on the decision to partner with Sanath Jayasuriya, he added, “When looking for a voice to represent GHR’s ethos, Sanath Jayasuriya was the natural choice. Just as Sanath disrupted traditional international cricket and redefined how the world viewed the opening overs, GHR challenged traditional approaches to real estate and established a new benchmark in luxury living. This partnership represents a true convergence; Two Gamechangers, A New Beginning.”