Lanka inches closer to reopening BIA for tourism

Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga says that Sri Lanka should consider opening the Airport for tourism when the UK and Europe initiate the COVID vaccination process.

Ranatunga said so, addressing the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Tourism, when MP Premitha Bandara Tennakoon told the Committee that the UK had approved a COVID-19 vaccine and that the rest of Europe and the US would soon follow suit. With the availability of a vaccine, tourists would begin to travel and Sri Lanka tourism should plan to benefit from it.

The Ministerial Consultative Committee, chaired by Ranatunga, was attended by 18 MPs including Geetha Kumarasinghe, Diana Gamage, M. Udayakumar, Chandima Weerakkody, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, Madura Vithanage and Premitha Bandara Tennakoon.

Addressing the Committee, Gamage raised her concerns over the safety of tourists who visited the country. Responding to the concern raised, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Chairperson Kimarli Fernando stated that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had appointed a DIG for tourism.

SLTDA Chair said that they had created Sri Lanka’s first ever mobile app to assist tourists. Fernando added that the App consisted of an “emergency button” where the location of the tourist would be shared with the nearest police station. The App was scheduled to be made available by the third quarter of 2021.

Addressing the Committee Batticaloa MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam said that there should be a blueprint for developing tourism in the North and the East. He also proposed the restoration of the long dormant Talaimannar ferry service for developing tourism.

SLTDA Chairperson stated that they had already identified 4,956 new sites including the Ramayana trail in Sri Lanka and had already spoken to the Indian High Commissioner to promote it in India. The Minister of tourism suggested that a separate meeting should be held in the North and the East.