• 1.2 million tourists are expected this year   
• (BIA) and service providers to the tourist industry have been instructed to provide maximum possible facilities to tourists

By Sandun A Jayasekara   

The prestigious international travel advisory blog, the ‘Culture Trip’ has branded Sri Lanka as a safe destination for tourists. This has been further proved by the sharp increase of tourist arrivals in the last few months, Government Spokesman Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said yesterday.   

He told the media that 1.2 million tourists are expected this year and as such the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and service providers to the tourist industry have been instructed to provide maximum possible facilities to tourists.   
Responding to a journalist, Minister Dr.Pathirana said the shortage of cement, certain food commodities and oil was the direct result of sharp drop of foreign currency revenue collected from the tourist industry, exports and foreign remittances triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.   

“We are hopeful that the year 2022 would be a better one as signs of improvement of tourist arrivals, export revenue and foreign remittances are already there. The government would take steps to eliminate scarcities of all essential food commodities, oil and medicine once the foreign reserves rise to a satisfactory level,” Minister Dr. Pathirana said.   

The demand from the construction industry has also been on the rise in the last few years triggering a cement shortage. A number of high rise buildings are coming up in Colombo and in many other parts of the country which has increased the demand for cement, he noted.   

• We are hopeful that the year 2022 would be a better one as signs of improvement of tourist arrivals, export revenue and foreign remittances are already there