Sri Lanka ready to welcome Bangladeshi, other tourists: Envoy

Sri Lankan high commissioner to Bangladesh Sudharshan Seneviratne has stated that his country is ready to welcome tourists from Bangladesh as well as other parts of the world reports UNB.

The government has taken necessary measures to give people their confidence back, he added.

"What we are projecting now is about confidence and it’s very important. We are also looking at enhancing our economic status by proper management," he told reports at a media briefing at the high commission Thursday.

Seneviratne said their stock market and exports are doing far better and there is progress in other areas that shows a picture of confidence to people to come and visit Sri Lanka.

The Covid pandemic and recent political situation battered Sri Lanka's tourism, one of its biggest foreign currency earners.

Everything has now returned to normal and favourable conditions for visiting the country have been created, Seneviratne said, urging Bangladeshis to consider Sri Lanka as their tourist destination.

The high commissioner highlighted the emergence of Bangladesh as a key target market in South Asia with its palpable presence.

Bangladesh has proven its self-determination, economic development and resilience within a short period of time while broadening their horizon, especially in trade, investment and tourism, Seneviratne added.

Sri Lanka Convention Bureau chairman Thisum Jayasuriya said the situation in Sri Lanka now has totally changed and there is no queue for fuel or anything on the street.

The country now has enough fuel for essential services like buses, trains and medical vehicles, and steps have been taken to give special importance to tourists for their pleasant stay and travel, he said.

Jayasuriya, however, blamed a section of the media who exaggerated the situation, adding that there was no food crisis in the country.

"Tourists from various countries have already started visiting Sri Lanka. We are expecting that more than a hundred thousand tourists from different parts of the world will visit Sri Lanka by December this year," he said.