Hope potential tourists will ’’see beyond the smoke and mirrors’’, SL Tourism Alliance writes

While criticising the move by foreign embassies in Sri Lanka to issue advisories to their nationals from travelling to Arugam Bay, the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance stressed that the law should be enforced against tourists who illegally set up set up businesses and overstay their visas. 

In an open letter, written by its Chair Malik J. Fernando, the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance also expressed hope that tourists intending to travel to the country would "see beyond the smoke and mirrors". 

Despite the tensions, of illegal businesses run by tourists and the construction of a new synagogue in close proximity to a mosque, Fernando claimed that Sri Lankans in the area still remained hospitable to all.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance is made up of stakeholders with the mission of sustainably developing the tourism industry in Sri Lanka, and in addition to its core functions of innovation, sustainability and collaboration, the Alliance is also focused on training and development initiatives, promoting industry employment opportunities and introducing data for better tourism development and promotion.