Updated UK travel advisory puts damper

The government of the United Kingdom (UK) revised this week the travel advisory for its citizens entering Sri Lanka, and the update paints a grim picture of the island nation and the worsening economic situation.

On Monday (March 7) the UK, under its foreign travel advice, cautioned tourists from that country to be fully aware of the “deteriorating” economic situation in Sri Lanka before visiting for leisure, business, or for work.

In an effort to provide UK citizens ‘new information on the economic situation and shortages’, the government highlighted that the island nation is currently facing shortages of basic necessities including medicines, fuel and food due to a shortage of hard currency to pay for imports. “There may be long queues at grocery stores, gas stations, and pharmacies. Local authorities may impose the rationing of electricity, resulting in power outages,” it said.

The update also referred to the Easter Sunday deadly attack that took place in April 2019. “Terrorists are likely to carry out attacks in Sri Lanka. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners,” it said. The update does not augur well for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry that is looking to revive from the implications that stemmed from the pandemic.
The industry’s struggle to move towards a positive growth trajectory keeps getting harder with new challenges its way.

The UK remains as an important source market for Sri Lanka tourism. It has always emerged as one of the top five markets for Sri Lanka. For the January - February 2022 period, the UK ranks as the third largest tourist traffic generator for Sri Lanka, and accounts for 10.11 percent of total arrivals.
The industry is already expecting a drop in arrivals due to the ongoing invasion in Ukraine.

The Russia - Ukraine conflict is expected to have a hit on the local tourism industry since for months that have emerged as key source tourism markets.  Year-to-date, Russia has accounted for the highest number of arrivals to the country, while Ukraine has been the fifth largest contributor to tourist traffic.