News

Lanka placed 77th in Travel & Tourism Competitive Index, behind many of its neighbours

Published

2 years ago

2024/04/26

Thilina Walpola

Dr. Athula Gnanapala

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Pleasure is the main purpose of over 80 percent of foreign tourists who come to Sri Lanka, Professor in Tourism Management at the Sabaragamuwa University, Dr. Athula Gnanapala says.

In recent weeks there had been several instances where tourists were fleeced by some vendors and the victims often posted videos on social media and millions of potential visitors might see them, Prof. Gunapala said.

Sri Lanka was ranked 77th in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index, published by the World Bank, he said.

“If we look at Malaysia, it is in the 29th place. Thailand is in the 31st place, India is at the 34th place and Indonesia is in the 40th place. These are our competitors,” he said.

This index looks at 14 variables, out of which natural and cultural resources occupy only the number two slot. Sri Lanka relies heavily on these two aspects, often ignoring variables like enabling environment which has pillars like business environment, safety and security, health and hygiene, human resources and labour market qualification of the labour force and ICT readiness, he said.

“We have a number of government and private entities that work for the betterment of tourism. They need to come together, talk about the issues they face and come up with a programme. If not, we will not be able to achieve long term tourism objectives,” he said.

Dr. Gnanapala said that a large number of trained hospitality workers had left the country during the last two years. Highly trained Sri Lankan workers were welcome in other countries and local establishments must pay their employees competitive salaries, he said.

“Otherwise they will migrate” he said.

Sri Lankan authorities must also take steps to dispel the perception that the country is an unsafe place. This is a perception a large number of foreigners have about this country, he added. Dr. Gnanapala said certain western and regional media has portrayed Sri Lanka as unsafe and do not respect human rights.

“I have met Indian professors who were of the opinion, prior to visiting the country, that Sri Lanka was unsafe. However, their opinions have changed, once they visited the country. In fact, we can use tourists as goodwill ambassadors,” he said.

Dr. Gnanapala said female travellers account for about 50 percent of the total number of tourists visiting Sri Lanka and we must ensure that they feel safe here. Recently, the country was named the top destination for solo female travellers, he said.

“We must ensure that there are no incidents that damage this good perception,” he said.

All News Advertisement

Up Next

Khemadasa’s daughter arranges choral musical in British church

Don't Miss

Economy Next’s Bellwether piece among SOPA award finalists

Click to comment

Latest News

Sun directly overhead Kalpitiya, Talawa, Sinharagama, Galkadawala, Nachchaduwa, Padikaramaduwa, Gomarankalla and Verugal about 12.10 noon today (01)

Published

6 hours ago

2026/09/1

Priyan

The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.

The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (01) are Kalpitiya, Talawa, Sinharagama, Galkadawala,
Nachchaduwa, Padikaramaduwa, Gomarankalla and Verugal about 12.10 noon.

News

SJB asks what Speaker intended to do about allegations against CJ

Published

7 hours ago

2026/09/1

Sahan Weerasooriya

… stresses need for action if claims were proved false

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dayasiri Jayasekera has sought a clarification from Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne regarding several allegations against Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, in Parliament, recently.

In a letter dated 31 August, Jayasekera has asked the Speaker whether he received any documentary evidence from MPs in support of the allegations at issue. The SJB MP has also inquired about the steps taken by the Speaker regarding the allegations and whether the issue had been taken up with the relevant agencies authorised to probe the assets of the CJ and members of his family.

MP Jayasekera confirmed that he had raised the issue with the Speaker, following the accusations relating to the high profile X-Press Pearl case, which received significant public attention in the recent past.

The Kurunegala District MP has also asked the Speaker whether the latter contemplated taking action in case the allegations were proved false to ensure that the dignity of the Chief Justice and the judiciary was safeguarded.

Among the issues raised by MP Jayasekera are the acquisition of valuable property in Colombo by the CJ’s son, the circumstances in which he was able to procure the property, as well as accusations regarding the CJ’s birth certificate, marriage certificate and birth certificates of his children.

News

Navy Chief attends strategic-level discussions in Delhi

Published

7 hours ago

2026/09/1

Sahan Weerasooriya

Navy Chief Vice Admiral Damian Fernando held a series of strategic-level discussions with senior Indian defence and military officials during a three-day official visit to New Delhi. He returned on Sunday (30).

Navy Headquarters said that the two sides discussed ways to further strengthen maritime security cooperation between the two Navies in support of security in the Indian Ocean region. They also exchanged views on expanding training opportunities and capacity-building programmes, as well as other areas of bilateral importance.

During his visit to New Delhi, Vice Admiral Fernando also held official discussions with India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General N.S. Raja Subramani, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit and defence industry representatives. Discussions at these meetings focused on bilateral defence cooperation, joint training programmes, and opportunities to enhance air and maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.

As part of efforts to further expand cooperation in naval training and professional development, Vice Admiral Fernando also met Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India’s Southern Naval Command, at its headquarters in Kochi, Kerala. The two sides discussed existing naval training exchange programmes and opportunities for introducing and expanding further training initiatives. The meeting followed the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy’s visit to INS Dronacharya, the Indian Navy’s training establishment where he previously completed the Long Gunnery and Missile Course.