SLTDA comes under harsh criticism for ignoring plight of tourism sector players

Colombo City Restaurant Collective (CCRC) President Harpo Goonaratne  (left) sharing the plight of the tourism sector players at the joint press briefing, while the members of the  Association of  Small and Medium Enterprises in Tourism Sri Lanka  (ASMET) at the head table look on 
Pic by Kithsiri de Mel

• Tourism sector players say SLTDA’s priorities misplaced
• Fear lack of promotions will result in SL losing to competitors 

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam
 The tourism sector regulator, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), came under harsh criticism yesterday for continuing to turn a deaf ear​​ to the plight of the industry stakeholders who are struggling to carry out operations amid the on-going economic crisis.

 The Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in Tourism Sri Lanka (ASMET) and the Colombo City Restaurant Collective (CCRC) stressed the need for the regulatory authority to step up efforts and provide the required support by way of coordinating with the relevant authorities to ensure the supply chain is minimally disrupted. The associations shared their woes in a joint press briefing yesterday where they highlighted the issues faced in catering to the tourists.

“Despite such dire circumstances that require urgent attention and actions to repair and restore what’s being lost, the regulator’s attention is sadly displaced, as they are more worried about changing the Tourism Act, rather than addressing these burning issues the tourism industry is forced to face in the aftermath of a global pandemic,” the associations said addressing the press conference.

Similar sentiments were shared by The Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) at a joint briefing held earlier this month on the poor support extended by SLTDA during the crisis.

The industry representatives pointed out that SLTDA does not respond to their concerns nor acknowledge the issues put forward for solutions.

 “We have been in the industry for over 30 years and we have seen the ups and downs. We have faced crises before and we managed to come out with SLTDA support. But now, the SLTDA does not even look into our concerns. We have lost our trust in the leadership,” said ASMET President Rohan Abeywickrama.

In addition to having limited interest in the sector players who are registered with the authority and contribute to the Tourism Development Levy (TDL), concerns were also raised on the visible lack of promotions of destination Sri Lanka.

The SME players in the sector said rolling out the delayed promotional campaign is essential at this point of time since unlike the high end hotel chains, they are not able to participate in foreign trade fairs without the assistance of the regulator.

Although the number of tourist arrivals continues to increase, the industry representatives shared that they are witnessing high numbers of cancellations. They attributed the cancellations to the social media posts shared by tourists on the issues faced during their visit.

Several tourists took to social media in the recent weeks to share their negative experience due to the power cuts and fuel crisis. Travel advisories against Sri Lanka are being issued as well. However, the SLTDA has not done much to rectify the issue nor provide assurance to incoming tourists on their experience being delivered as promised, the stakeholders said.

They noted that if the SLTDA does not fast track the implementation of the promotional campaign, Sri Lanka would likely to lose its international visitors this summer to competitors who are already aggressively promoting their countries with targeted promotional efforts.