Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Sri Lankan Tourism
A Little Background
Being an island country, Sri Lanka is a country with a majestic natural beauty and proud cultural and historic significance. This creates perfect conditions for tourism in Sri Lanka. From the beautiful beaches of the south to cool mountains of the hill country and the proud history of the north, Sri Lanka is praised for its hospitality and beauty. Sri Lanka is home for some quite significant attractions; for example, the Trincomalee harbour which is one of the few natural harbours in the world, and Sigiriya which was until recently considered as the eighth wonder of the world. With this, the small island of Sri Lanka has been a tourism hub in the world with world-wide recognition.
Sri Lankan Tourism Before Corona
12.5% of Sri Lanka’s economy is built upon tourism. As a developing country, thus Sri Lanka is depending quite a lot on it for the economic stability of the country. Currently Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) is in charge of the country’s tourism industry.
Since the end of the civil war in 2009, Sri Lanka experienced a boom in the tourism sector. In 2009, Sri Lanka experienced a foreign tourist traffic of 448,000. Since then, this number has been plummeting. At the end of 2019, right before the spread of the pandemic, Sri Lanka experienced 1,913,702 tourist arrivals. This is approximately three times increase compared to 2009.
In addition, the Lonely Planet named Sri Lanka as the best country to visit in 2019 which helped to further strengthen the tourism industry in the country. With this came more and more plans and ideas from the government for further improving the country’s tourism industry. Loan schemes for entry-level travel guides, more budget allocation for developing tourist destinations and plans to build more hotels to accommodate arrivals, to name a few. Yet with the identification of the first COVID patient on 27th January of 2020, Sri Lanka was forced to cancel all tourist arrival and departure in the country which resulted in the collapse of the industry.
How Sri Lanka Handles Corona
12.5% of Sri Lanka’s economy is built upon tourism. As a developing country, thus Sri Lanka is depending quite a lot on it for the economic stability of the country. Currently Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) is in charge of the country’s tourism industry.
Since the end of the civil war in 2009, Sri Lanka experienced a boom in the tourism sector. In 2009, Sri Lanka experienced a foreign tourist traffic of 448,000. Since then, this number has been plummeting. At the end of 2019, right before the spread of the pandemic, Sri Lanka experienced 1,913,702 tourist arrivals. This is approximately three times increase compared to 2009.
In addition, the Lonely Planet named Sri Lanka as the best country to visit in 2019 which helped to further strengthen the tourism industry in the country. With this came more and more plans and ideas from the government for further improving the country’s tourism industry. Loan schemes for entry-level travel guides, more budget allocation for developing tourist destinations and plans to build more hotels to accommodate arrivals, to name a few. Yet with the identification of the first COVID patient on 27th January of 2020, Sri Lanka was forced to cancel all tourist arrival and departure in the country which resulted in the collapse of the industry.
Bottom Line
With the COVID-19 outbreak, Sri Lankan tourism industry received a hard blow. Yet, due to the tactical approach of the government, the country has successfully recovered from the pandemic and is awaiting to boost up the tourism industry. Along with the strategic plans to boost up the industry and the generosity and hospitality of the citizens, the industry is expected to regrow to its former majesty.
References
- Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited. (2020). BIA Enhances the Passenger Facilitation Amidst COVID -19 Disruptions. Retrieved from Airport & Aviation Services (Sri Lanka): https://www.airport.lk/aasl/news/full_news.php?news_id=62&news_title=BIA%20Enhances%20the%20Passenger%20Facilitation%20Amidst%20COVID%20-19%20Disruptions
- COVID-19 Pandemic in Sri Lanka. (2020, May 17). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Sri_Lanka
- Lonely Planet. (2019). The Best Destinations to Visit in 2019. Retrieved from Lonely Planet: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/video/the-best-destinations-to-visit-in-2019/v/vid/978
- Ruslani, R. (2020, May 12). The Most Generous Country During Covid-19. Retrieved from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nasnewsdaily/videos/259657355231938/?v=259657355231938
- Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). (2019). Monthly Tourist Arrivals Reports – 2019. Retrieved from Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA): https://www.sltda.gov.lk/pages/monthly-tourist-arrivals-reports-2019?q=monthly-tourist-arrivals-reports-2019
- Sri Lanka Tourism sees silver lining from July. (2020, May 17). Retrieved from Daily FT: http://www.ft.lk/front-page/Sri-Lanka-Tourism-sees-silver-lining-from-July/44-700290
- Tourism in Sri Lanka. (2020, April 18). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_Sri_Lanka