Not all in the Sri Lankan hospitality and tourism industries have reacted unfavourably to the government’s purported move to stop the system of granting visas on arrival, and substitute it by a system in which a visitor can get the visa on-line before arrival.“Almost everybody is on-line these days. If the process is not cumbersome, it should be acceptable. But if it is cumbersome, we may as well continue with the present system,” said Chandra Mohotti, General Manager of Galle Face Hotel, a landmark in Colombo since 1840 and a favourite among British tourists for its colonial ambiance.However, the instinctive reaction in the travel and hospitality industries has been adverse and alarmist.Anura Lokuhetti, President of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, told The Sunday Times that one of the reasons why tourists were coming to the island nation in large numbers was the availability of visas on arrival. An unidentified top hotelier told the paper that the consequences of the government’s move were “frightening”.A diplomat whose country accounts for the single largest group of arrivals in Sri Lanka, told Express that the move would dissuade many tourists from coming to Sri Lanka.“ People will go where they are welcome. There are many alternatives to Sri Lanka,” he remarked.Recovery may be hit: After the end of the war against the LTTE in May 2009, arrivals jumped from an annual average of 400,000, to 700,000. Trade fears that thousands of persons directly or indirectly dependent on the arrival of foreigners, will be out of job if Sri Lankan visas are made hard to get. The government’s proposed move will affect nationals of 78 countries, some of which contribute massively to the tourist inflow every year.
expressbuzz
