Emergency fund planned under proposed new Tourism Act

Sri Lanka’s slowly reviving tourism sector is already gearing up to face the next hit by taking the necessary measures to ensure it is cushioned against any upcoming crisis.

The Tourism Ministry yesterday said that efforts are underway to set up an emergency fund, so that the ​​industry does not crumble as it did in the last two years.

The emergency fund will be established under the new Tourism Act that is currently being drafted.
After struggling to stay afloat during the 30-year conflict that ended in 2009, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry faced a back-to-back hit with the Easter Sunday attack in 2019 and COVID-19 pandemic that broke out in early 2020. The two events resulted in the industry facing severe hardships, including the closure of businesses, loss of employment and revenues dropping to an all-time low.

In an effort to ensure such implications are not witnessed again, the Tourism Ministry said plans are being conceptualised to allow the industry to be better prepared to face a
crisis situation. 

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga in a statement to the media yesterday said he hopes to set up this fund to provide relief to those involved in the tourism industry. The establishment of this new fund is in line with the proposed social security programme for the tourism sector.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, several relief packages were extended to the stakeholders of the industry.
The measures include ​the ​Rs.20,000 allowance paid to tour guides registered with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and Rs.15,000 extended to registered tourist drivers. A total of Rs.81 million was disbursed under the relief scheme for employees of the tourism sector by the government as of June 2021.