28 February 2022 01:55 pm Views - 3695
Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has requested the IGP to strictly enforce the law against those who harass and cause inconvenience to tourists visiting the country.
In a letter to the IGP, the Minister pointed out that those involved in such incidents should be severely punished irrespective of their position.
Several incidents of harassment and harassment of tourists visiting the country have been reported on social media in the last few days.
The Minister said that such incidents could hamper the tourism industry at a time when the tourism industry is gradually recovering after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this month, the Daily Mirror reported that the police launched investigations into similar incidents where two German women were sexually abused by locals in two separate incidents in Kollupitiya, Tangalle.
Minister Ranatunga requested the IGP to pay special attention to this matter as the damage caused to the country's image and the tourism industry due to such incidents could be rectified only by enforcing the law against those involved in these incidents.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Development Authority said that a total of 175,909 tourists have arrived in the country January 1 to February 27 this year. Among them, 28,392 tourists have arrived in the country from Russia while 24,141 tourists from India, 17,749 from UK 13,039 from Ukraine and 12,779 from Germany.(Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)