Promoting tourism

Friday 25th February, 2022

The government, which is struggling to find forex even for fuel imports, has decided to spend as much as USD 56 million on a huge advertising campaign to promote tourism, according to a report we published yesterday. It defies comprehension why so much of money should be spent on advertising; we thought Sri Lanka was already known the world over as a tourist destination. There are many things that the government ought to do before embarking on an expensive advertising campaign. It is said that nothing kills a bad product faster than good advertising.

Experts have written reams about Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, its strengths and weaknesses and the so-called way forward; this comment is only a layman’s view based on what we have heard and seen as journalists over the years.

First of all, Sri Lanka should make itself tourist-friendly. It lacks basic facilities for foreign tourists. A few years ago, we editorially commented on the plight of a group of foreign tourists at Sigiriya. Washrooms there were closed for repairs and, worse, the cleaning staff had the chutzpah to ask the tourists ‘to go to the jungle’. Nobody takes the trouble of travelling all the way from a faraway land to this country to ease himself or herself in the jungle. The authorities concerned trotted out some lame excuses, but Sri Lanka’s image as a tourist destination suffered irreparable damage. When such issues crop up, tourism authorities must take prompt remedial action.

The exploitation of foreign tourists continues unabated. Tourism to many hoteliers, guides and others has apparently come to mean a licence of sorts to exploit foreigners. When the BIA was reopened for tourists, some cronies of the government made a killing at the expense of foreign visitors with the help of PCR testing and quarantine. The media had to fight quite a battle to stop the racket. The state itself exploits foreign tourists by charging exorbitant amounts by way of entrance fees at cultural sites, where nothing special is on offer for them. Tickets at these places must be reasonably priced so that foreign tourists will not feel that they are exploited.

The safety of foreign tourists is of paramount importance. No one in his or her proper senses will visit a place where his or her safety is at stake. Unfortunate incidents are reported, from time to time, of foreign tourists being harmed. In this electronically driven world, ensuring tourists’ safety cannot be a difficult task, especially in a small country. There are many racketeers preying on unsuspecting tourists, who should be given ready access to the law enforcement authorities; their complaints must be investigated and culprits brought to justice expeditiously.

In this day and age, there is hardly any need for spending colossal amounts of forex on advertising; everyone has access to the Internet and writes about his or her travel experience. The best way to promote Sri Lanka is to ensure that foreign tourists feel safe and happy here and leave with contented smiles. One positive social media review by a foreign traveller is worth more than a million-dollar advertisement. This is what Sri Lanka should strive to achieve.

This country is not short of good men and women engaged in tourism, and how they looked after their stranded foreign guests like their own family members during lockdowns is now known to the entire world. It is this kind of publicity Sri Lanka needs most, and it cannot be generated with the help of expensive advertising campaigns.

Meanwhile, the need for those engaged in tourism to be considerate towards local tourists cannot be overemphasised. Most hoteliers and restaurateurs are not well disposed towards Sri Lankans. Local visitors must not be treated like pariahs. Hoteliers and others are likely to lose their heads again when foreign tourist arrivals increase; they must be kept reminded that it is Sri Lankans who have kept their businesses afloat during the past two years or so.