Tour Guide, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| 4 mins read
How is the political situation and stability in Sri Lanka?
You might be wondering whether your most desirable travel destination, Sri Lanka, is safe to travel again. The answer is, "Absolutely yes!"
The truth is, Sri Lanka has never been unsafe for tourists. Of course, there have been a difficult couple of months lately, but Sri Lankans always tried their best to make sure that tourists have a hassle-free vacation in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has undoubtedly become one of the most loved tourist destinations in recent years. Even after the COVID pandemic, many tourists chose a holiday in Sri Lanka to have an unforgettable tropical island experience. However, due to the economic crisis Sri Lanka has been facing for the last few months, the tourism industry has also taken a severe blow.
But right now, most of the hassles are being smoothed out, and Sri Lanka is once again ready to offer the world-class hospitality to tourists for which it is well-known.
How is the political situation and stability in Sri Lanka?
This unfortunate economic crisis in Sri Lanka is certainly caused by poor decisions made by previous governments who were in power. Peaceful protests were carried out by the general public against the former president and other responsible parties. Finally, the former president and his government were forced to resign and hand over power.
Even during this turbulent period, there has never been a risk to a tourist, and not a single such incident was reported.
With the current new president and his government, the political situation in Sri Lanka has been somewhat stabilized, and effective steps have been taken to come out of this economic crisis.
Is there any food and essential goods shortage in Sri Lanka?
There is no food shortage in the country, as some international media are reporting. Though there are some restrictions on some imported food items, it affects neither locals nor tourists.
Main food items such as rice, flour, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, milk, and other essential goods are conveniently available in every supermarket and local store.
Indeed, inflation has become its worst in history, as it is caused by both the internal economic crisis and the current inflation across the globe. Foreign currency exchange rates have risen due to the drainage of foreign reserves.
Fortunately for tourists, prices of goods may not affect them much, as they get a higher exchange rate for foreign currencies.
How is the fuel crisis in the country right now?
With the new fuel quota system implemented, the fuel crisis has been solved to a greater extent. Now, fuel is available in every corner of the country. Public transportation across the country has also returned to its usual and convenient state.
Fuel is distributed according to a quota system without long queues, and priority is given to service providers in the tourism sector.
How about the electricity shortages?
Power cuts are still happening around the country occasionally, but not regularly. In Sri Lanka, more than 50% of the power requirement for electricity generation is fulfilled by hydropower. Therefore, the current sufficient rainfall has been a blessing in solving the power crisis.
Further necessary steps have been taken to increase renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.
However, power shortages have not been affecting the tourism industry much because most tourist resorts and hotels are equipped with alternative power generators (solar/diesel).
How does tourism impact Sri Lanka?
Every dollar spent by tourists during their tour in Sri Lanka will strengthen the economy. The tourism industry is a key foreign revenue earner in Sri Lanka and plays a vital role in the country's economic revival.
Approximately 1 million people are directly employed, and around 2.5 million are indirectly involved with the industry.
Traveling to Sri Lanka will not deprive resources from locals, as indicated in certain international media sources. On the contrary, your trip to Sri Lanka will obviously help the betterment of its citizens. A steady dollar flow through tourism will assure of maintaining supplies of essential food, fuel, cooking gas, fertilizer for agriculture, medicines for hospitals and other essential items.
Sri Lanka is known as “The Smiling Island” due to the warm greeting nature and hospitality of its people. Visit Sri Lanka to create a memory of your lifetime while encouraging these resilient people to rebuild their lives.